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: 1847
2022 McKinney rain-on-wildfire event, dissolved oxygen sags, and a fish kill on the Klamath River, California 2022 McKinney rain-on-wildfire event, dissolved oxygen sags, and a fish kill on the Klamath River, California
The longitudinal propagation of water-quality and ecological impairments in rivers during and after wildfires remain poorly understood. In Northern California, the 2022 McKinney Fire burned 243 km2 of the Klamath National Forest, with 83% of the burned area classified as moderate to high severity. During the active wildfire, a high-intensity monsoonal rain event triggered sediment-laden...
Authors
Jennifer Curtis, Grant Johnson, Josh Cahill, Laurel Genzoli, Clifford Dahm, Liam N. Schenk, John Oberholzer
Assessing spatial variability of nutrients, phytoplankton, and related water-quality constituents in the California Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta at the landscape scale—Comparison of four (2018, 2020, 2021, 2022) spring high-resolution mapping surveys Assessing spatial variability of nutrients, phytoplankton, and related water-quality constituents in the California Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta at the landscape scale—Comparison of four (2018, 2020, 2021, 2022) spring high-resolution mapping surveys
Authors
Emily Richardson, Tamara Kraus, Katy O’Donnell, Jeniffer Soto-Perez, Crystal Sturgeon, Elizabeth Stumpner, Brian Bergamaschi
Pyrethroid insecticides implicated in mass mortality of monarch butterflies at an overwintering site in California Pyrethroid insecticides implicated in mass mortality of monarch butterflies at an overwintering site in California
Since the 1980s, monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus plexippus) populations across North America have declined by 80–95%. Although several studies have implicated pesticides as a contributing factor to their population declines, our understanding of monarch exposure levels in nature remains limited. In January 2024, a mass mortality event near an overwintering site in Pacific Grove...
Authors
Staci Cibotti, Michelle L. Hladik, Emily May, Emma Pelton, Timothy Bargar, Natalie Johnston, Aimee Code
Public supply water delivery analysis and estimation for the conterminous United States Public supply water delivery analysis and estimation for the conterminous United States
Public supply water withdrawals represent 14% of all withdrawals in the conterminous United States (CONUS), supplying approximately 87% of the population with fresh water. Deliveries for public water supply are crucial for associating water use amounts with populations because they often differ from total withdrawals due to wholesales, transfers, losses, and other factors. Understanding...
Authors
Joshua Larsen, Ayman H. Alzraiee, Richard G. Niswonger, Donald Martin, Cheryl A. Buchwald, Cheryl A. Dieter, Carol L. Luukkonen, Jana S. Stewart, Scott Paulinski, Lisa D. Miller, Natalie Houston
Relations of groundwater quality to long-term surface disposal of produced water near the Midway-Sunset and Buena Vista Oil Fields, California, USA Relations of groundwater quality to long-term surface disposal of produced water near the Midway-Sunset and Buena Vista Oil Fields, California, USA
Contamination of groundwater by oil-field fluids in proximity to oil and gas development has been an issue of concern to water users and regulators given long histories of development and legacy disposal practices. A robust set of geochemical tracers including petroleum hydrocarbon compounds, thermogenic gases, inorganic ion concentrations, stable isotopes, radioactive isotopes, and...
Authors
Riley Gannon, Matthew K. Landon, Justin T. Kulongoski, Michael J. Stephens, Lyndsay B. Ball, John G. Warden, Tracy Davis, Janice M. Gillespie, Isabelle M. Cozzarelli
Pesticide concentrations in multiple physical and biological stream matrices are impacted by a bioenergy production facility receiving pesticide coated corn seeds Pesticide concentrations in multiple physical and biological stream matrices are impacted by a bioenergy production facility receiving pesticide coated corn seeds
Insecticide and fungicide seed coatings have become prevalent in conventional agriculture in recent decades. From 2015 to 2021, the AltEn bioenergy plant (Mead, Nebraska, USA) generated ethanol from almost 100% unused/expired treated corn seeds. This use of these seeds for ethanol production resulted in the accumulation of large amounts of contaminated wastewater and solid residue, a...
Authors
Michelle L. Hladik, Dana W. Kolpin, Matthew D. De Parsia, Daniel D. Snow, Shannon Bartelt-Hunt, Brenda Densmore, Laura E. Hubbard, David L. Rus, Jonathan J. Spurgeon, Brittany G. Perrotta, Karen A. Kidd, Johanna M. Kraus, Carrie E. Givens, Christopher James Kotalik, David Walters
Simulation of the impacts of projected climate change on groundwater resources in the urban, semiarid Yucaipa Valley watershed, southern California using an integrated hydrologic model Simulation of the impacts of projected climate change on groundwater resources in the urban, semiarid Yucaipa Valley watershed, southern California using an integrated hydrologic model
Managing water resources in semiarid watersheds is challenging due to limited supply and uncertain future climate conditions. This paper examines the impact of future climate changes on an urban watershed in southern California using an integrated hydrologic model. GSFLOW modeling software is used to simulate the nonlinear relationships between climate trends and precipitation...
Authors
Derek W. Ryter, Ayman H. Alzraiee, Richard G. Niswonger
A joint Gaussian process model of geochemistry, geophysics, and temperature for groundwater TDS in the San Ardo Oil Field, California, USA A joint Gaussian process model of geochemistry, geophysics, and temperature for groundwater TDS in the San Ardo Oil Field, California, USA
Decline in availability of fresh groundwater has expanded interest in brackish groundwater resources; however, the distribution of brackish groundwater is poorly understood. Water resources in sedimentary basins across the United States often overlie oil and gas development. Mapping of groundwater total dissolved solids (TDS) using data from oil well geophysical logs has become an...
Authors
Michael J. Stephens, Will Chang, David H. Shimabukuro, Amanda Howery, Theron A. Sowers, Janice M. Gillespie
Occurrence of pesticides in Oregon coastal waters Occurrence of pesticides in Oregon coastal waters
Pesticides are used globally for a wide range of applications including agricultural, forestry, roadsides, freshwater systems, and personal use. While pesticides have ensured efficient crop production, they are frequently transported away from application sites and are found in almost all terrestrial and aquatic environments. Pesticides are frequently detected in watersheds and rivers...
Authors
Bria Bleil, Elise F. Granek, Michelle L. Hladik
Gillnet sampling methods for monitoring status and trends of Clear Lake Hitch in Clear Lake, Lake County, California Gillnet sampling methods for monitoring status and trends of Clear Lake Hitch in Clear Lake, Lake County, California
The Clear Lake Hitch (Lavinia exilicauda chi) is a minnow endemic to Clear Lake, Lake County, California. This species is listed as a threatened species under the California Endangered Species Act and has been petitioned for listing under the United States Endangered Species Act. In 2017, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, initiated a...
Authors
Frederick Feyrer, Matthew J. Young, Brock Huntsman, Veronica Violette, Justin K. Clause, Jordan Buxton, Danielle Palm, Marissa L. Wulff, Jeff Gronemyer, Luis Santana
Simulated effects of future water availability and protected species habitat in a perennial wetland, Santa Barbara County, California Simulated effects of future water availability and protected species habitat in a perennial wetland, Santa Barbara County, California
This study evaluates the potential water availability in Barka Slough and the effects of changing hydrological conditions on the aquatic habitat of five protected species. Barka Slough is a historically perennial wetland at the downstream western end of the San Antonio Creek Valley watershed (SACVW). A previously published hydrologic model of the SACVW for 1948–2018 was extended to...
Authors
Geoffrey Cromwell, Daniel Philip Culling, Matthew J. Young, Joshua Larsen
The scientific benefits of a statewide, standardized, coastal wetland monitoring program in Hawaiʻi The scientific benefits of a statewide, standardized, coastal wetland monitoring program in Hawaiʻi
In this viewpoint, we provide a scientific justification for a statewide, standardized, coastal wetland monitoring program for Hawaiʻi, USA. Hawaiian coastal wetlands provide important habitat for endangered waterbirds, invertebrates, plants, and the Hawaiian hoary bat (ʻōpeʻapeʻa; Lasiurus semotus) as well as support Indigenous food systems. Currently, numerous agencies and groups in...
Authors
Judith Z. Drexler, Helen Raine, Carrie L. Harrington, Kawika B. Winter, Kauaoa Matthew Sam Fraiola, Joy Browning, Jeffrey Burgett, David A. Burney, Kim A. Falinski, Scott Fisher, Kristen C. Harmon, Jessica L. Idle, Monica N. Iglecia, Mari-Vaughn Virginia Johnson, Matthew J. Keir, K. Jackson Letchworth, Kirsten Moy, Anthony Olegario, Melissa R. Price, J. Michael Reed, Yoshimi M. Rii, Rachel A. Rounds, Charles B. van Rees, Brett T. Wolfe