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: 1840
The role of the unsaturated zone in artificial recharge at San Gorgonio Pass, California The role of the unsaturated zone in artificial recharge at San Gorgonio Pass, California
The hydrogeology of the unsaturated zone plays a critical role in determining the suitability of a site for artificial recharge. Optimally, a suitable site has highly permeable soils, a capacity for horizontal flow at the aquifer boundary, a lack of impeding layers, and a thick unsaturated zone. The suitability of a site is often determined by field and laboratory measurements of soil...
Authors
Alan L. Flint, Kevin M. Ellett
Geochemistry of sulfate minerals in high- and low-temperature environments: A tribute to Robert O. Rye Geochemistry of sulfate minerals in high- and low-temperature environments: A tribute to Robert O. Rye
This special issue is a tribute to Robert O. Rye, known as "Bob" to most, in light of his highly productive and ongoing career. Almost all of the papers in this issue are derived from topical sessions on sulfate minerals in hydrothermal and low-temperature environments. The sessions, held at the 2000 Geological Society of America meeting in Reno, NV, and sponsored jointly by the...
Authors
Robert R. Seal,, John L. Jambor, Charles N. Alpers
Fundamental concepts of recharge in the Desert Southwest: A regional modeling perspective Fundamental concepts of recharge in the Desert Southwest: A regional modeling perspective
Recharge in arid basins does not occur in all years or at all locations within a basin. In the desert Southwest potential evapotranspiration exceeds precipitation on an average annual basis and, in many basins, on an average monthly basis. Ground-water traveltime from the surface to the water table and recharge to the water table vary temporally and spatially owing to variations in...
Authors
Alan L. Flint, Lorraine E. Flint, J.A. Hevesi
Carbon, sulfur, and mercury - A biogeochemical axis of evil Carbon, sulfur, and mercury - A biogeochemical axis of evil
I welcome this opportunity to come and preach the gospel according to Aiken, which is that to really understand ecosystems we need to pay much more attention to reactions involving natural organic matter. It's taken me many years to convince my colleagues of the important role of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the methylation of mercury. Methylmercury is a nasty player - it's a very...
Authors
George R. Aiken
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
Science support for salt pond restoration and management in south San Francisco Bay Science support for salt pond restoration and management in south San Francisco Bay
No abstract available.
Authors
Kathleen M. Swanson, Gregory Shellenbarger, Kathleen D. Henderson, Jeanne S. DiLeo, David H. Schoellhamer
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
Occurrence of hexavalent chromium in ground water in the western Mojave Desert, California Occurrence of hexavalent chromium in ground water in the western Mojave Desert, California
About 200 samples from selected public supply, domestic, and observation wells completed in alluvial aquifers underlying the western Mojave Desert were analyzed for total dissolved Cr and Cr(VI). Because Cr(VI) is difficult to preserve, samples were analyzed by 3 methods. Chromium(VI) was determined in the field using both a direct colorimetric method and EPA method 218.6, and samples...
Authors
J.W. Ball, J. A. Izbicki
Trends in the sediment yield of the Sacramento River, California, 1957-2001 Trends in the sediment yield of the Sacramento River, California, 1957-2001
Human activities within a watershed, such as agriculture, urbanization, and dam building, may affect the sediment yield from the watershed. Because the equilibrium geomorphic form of an estuary is dependent in part on the sediment supply from the watershed, anthropogenic activities within the watershed have the potential to affect estuary geomorphology. The Sacramento River drains the...
Authors
Scott Wright, David H. Schoellhamer
A methodology to asess relations between climatic variability and variations in hydrologic time series in the southwestern United States A methodology to asess relations between climatic variability and variations in hydrologic time series in the southwestern United States
A new method for frequency analysis of hydrologic time series was developed to facilitate the estimation and reconstruction of individual or groups of frequencies from hydrologic time-series and facilitate the comparison of these isolated time-series components across data types, between different hydrologic settings within a watershed, between watersheds, and across frequencies. While...
Authors
R. T. Hanson, M.W. Newhouse, M. D. Dettinger
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