Publications
The following list of California Water Science Center publications includes both official USGS publications and journal articles authored by our scientists.
Filter Total Items: 1865
Reproductive status of western mosquitofish inhabiting selenium- contaminated waters in the Grassland Water District, Merced County, California Reproductive status of western mosquitofish inhabiting selenium- contaminated waters in the Grassland Water District, Merced County, California
This study was implemented to determine if western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) populations in the Grassland Water District suffer from impaired reproduction because of seleniferous inflows of agricultural drainwater from the Grassland Bypass Project. During June to July 2001, laboratory trials with pregnant female fish collected from two seleniferous treatment sites exposed to...
Authors
M. K. Saiki, B.A. Martin, T.W. May
Estimating accumulation rates and physical properties of sediment behind a dam: Englebright Lake, Yuba River, northern California Estimating accumulation rates and physical properties of sediment behind a dam: Englebright Lake, Yuba River, northern California
Studies of reservoir sedimentation are vital to understanding scientific and management issues related to watershed sediment budgets, depositional processes, reservoir operations, and dam decommissioning. Here we quantify the mass, organic content, and grain-size distribution of a reservoir deposit in northern California by two methods of extrapolating measurements of sediment physical...
Authors
Noah P. Snyder, David M. Rubin, Charles N. Alpers, Jonathan R. Childs, Jennifer A. Curtis, Lorraine E. Flint, Scott Wright
A project summary: Water and energy budget assessment for a non-tidal wetland in the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta A project summary: Water and energy budget assessment for a non-tidal wetland in the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta
The methods used to obtain universal cover coefficient (Kc) values for a non-tidal restored wetland in the Sacramento-San Joaquin river delta, US, during the summer of the year 2002 and to investigate possible differences during changing wind patterns are described. A micrometeorological tower over the wetland was established to quantify actual evapotranspiration (ETa) rates and surface...
Authors
Frank E. Anderson, R.L. Snyder, U.K.T. Paw, Judith Z. Drexler
Potential exposure of larval and juvenile delta smelt to dissolved pesticides in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California Potential exposure of larval and juvenile delta smelt to dissolved pesticides in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California
The San Francisco Estuary is critical habitat for delta smelt Hypomesus transpacificus, a fish whose abundance has declined greatly since 1983 and is now listed as threatened. In addition, the estuary receives drainage from the Central Valley, an urban and agricultural region with intense and diverse pesticide usage. One possible factor of the delta smelt population decline is pesticide...
Authors
K.M. Kuivila, G.E. Moon
Assessing the risk of Loveland Dam operations to the arroyo toad (Bufo californicus) in the Sweetwater River Channel, San Diego County, California Assessing the risk of Loveland Dam operations to the arroyo toad (Bufo californicus) in the Sweetwater River Channel, San Diego County, California
No abstract available.
Authors
M. C. Madden-Smith, A.J. Atkinson, Robert N. Fisher, W.R. Danskin, Gregory O. Mendez
Changes in streamflow timing in the western United States during recent decades Changes in streamflow timing in the western United States during recent decades
No abstract available.
Authors
Michael D. Dettinger
Chromium geochemistry of serpentinous sediment in the Willow core, Santa Clara County, California Chromium geochemistry of serpentinous sediment in the Willow core, Santa Clara County, California
A preliminary investigation of Cr geochemistry in serpentinous sediment completed for a multiple-aquifer ground-water monitoring well (Willow core of Santa Clara County, CA) determined sediment at depths >225 meters contains Cr concentrations ranging from 195 to 1155 mg/kg. Serpentinous sediment from this site is a potential source of non-anthropogenic Cr contamination. Chromium-bearing...
Authors
Christopher J. Oze, Matthew J. LaForce, Carl M. Wentworth, Randall T. Hanson, Dennis K. Bird, Robert G. Coleman
A micrometeorological investigation of a restored California wetland ecosystem A micrometeorological investigation of a restored California wetland ecosystem
No abstract available.
Authors
Frank Anderson, Richard L. Snyder, Robin L. Miller, Judith Z. Drexler
Channel response to tectonic forcing: field analysis of stream morphology and hydrology in the Mendocino triple junction region, northern California Channel response to tectonic forcing: field analysis of stream morphology and hydrology in the Mendocino triple junction region, northern California
An empirical calibration of the shear stress model for bedrock incision is presented, using field and hydrologic data from a series of small, coastal drainage basins near the Mendocino triple junction in northern California. Previous work comparing basins from the high uplift zone (HUZ, uplift rates around 4 mm/year) to ones in the low uplift zone (LUZ, ∼0.5 mm/year) indicates that the...
Authors
Noah P. Snyder, Kelin X. Whipple, Gregory E. Tucker, D.J. Merritts
Comparison of salinity and temperature at continuous monitoring stations and nearby monthly measurement sites in San Francisco Bay Comparison of salinity and temperature at continuous monitoring stations and nearby monthly measurement sites in San Francisco Bay
Salinity and temperature are crucial state variables affecting estuarine habitat an d, thus, are measured by various San Francisco Estuary programs. This article presents a comparison of salinity and temperature data collected at seven continuo us monitoring stations throughout San Francisco Bay (Figure 1) with data collected monthly by the US Geological Survey (USGS) research vessel (...
Authors
L.G. Bergfeld, D. H. Schoellhamer
Importance of a stochastic distribution of floods and erosion thresholds in the bedrock river incision problem Importance of a stochastic distribution of floods and erosion thresholds in the bedrock river incision problem
Fluvial erosion of bedrock occurs during occasional flood events when boundary shear stress exceeds a critical threshold to initiate incision. Therefore efforts to model the evolution of topography over long timescales should include an erosion threshold and should be driven by a stochastic distribution of erosive events. However, most bedrock incision models ignore the threshold as a...
Authors
Noah P. Snyder, Kelin X. Whipple, Gregory E. Tucker, D.J. Merritts
Preliminary assessment of DOC and THM precursor loads from a freshwater restored wetland, an agricultural field, and a tidal wetland in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta Preliminary assessment of DOC and THM precursor loads from a freshwater restored wetland, an agricultural field, and a tidal wetland in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta
Water exported from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta supplies drinking water to more than 22 million people in California. At certain times of the year, Delta waters contain relatively high concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and bromide. During these times, chlorination of Delta water for drinking water disinfection will form disinfection byproducts, such as...
Authors
R. Fujii, B.A. Bergamaschi, N. K. Ganju, J.A. Fleck, K.R. Burow-Fogg, D. Schoellhamer, S. J. Deverel