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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: 1856

Effects of the herbicide diuron on cordgrass (Spartina foliosa) reflectance and photosynthetic parameters Effects of the herbicide diuron on cordgrass (Spartina foliosa) reflectance and photosynthetic parameters

Early indicators of salt marsh plant stress are needed to detect stress before it is manifested as changes in biomass and coverage. We explored a variety of leaf-level spectral reflectance and fluorescence variables as indicators of stress in response to the herbicide diuron. Diuron, a Photosystem II inhibitor, is heavily used in areas adjacent to estuaries, but its ecological effects...
Authors
S.L. Williams, A. Carranza, J. Kunzelman, S. Datta, Kathryn Kuivila

Dietary flexibility in three representative waterbirds across salinity and depth gradients in salt ponds of San Francisco Bay Dietary flexibility in three representative waterbirds across salinity and depth gradients in salt ponds of San Francisco Bay

Salt evaporation ponds have existed in San Francisco Bay, California, for more than a century. In the past decade, most of the salt ponds have been retired from production and purchased for resource conservation with a focus on tidal marsh restoration. However, large numbers of waterbirds are found in salt ponds, especially during migration and wintering periods. The value of these...
Authors
John Y. Takekawa, A.K. Miles, D. C. Tsao-Melcer, D. H. Schoellhamer, S. Fregien, N.D. Athearn

The ecohealth assessment and ecological restoration division of urban water system in Beijing The ecohealth assessment and ecological restoration division of urban water system in Beijing

Evaluating six main rivers and six lakes in Beihuan water system (BWS) and diagnosing the limiting factors of eco-health were conducted for the ecohealth assessment and ecological restoration division of urban water system (UWS) for Beijing. The results indicated that Jingmi River and Nanchang River were in a healthy state, the degree of membership to unhealthy were 0.358, 0.392...
Authors
J. Liu, M. Ma, F. Zhang, Z. Yang, Joseph L. Domagalski

Turbulent stresses and secondary currents in a tidal-forced channel with significant curvature and asymmetric bed forms Turbulent stresses and secondary currents in a tidal-forced channel with significant curvature and asymmetric bed forms

Acoustic Doppler current profilers are deployed to measure both the mean flow and turbulent properties in a channel with significant curvature. Direct measurements of the Reynolds stress show a significant asymmetry over the tidal cycle where stresses are enhanced during the flood tide and less prominent over the ebb tide. This asymmetry is corroborated by logarithmic fits using...
Authors
D.A. Fong, Stephen G. Monismith, M.T. Stacey, J.R. Burau

Effects of Groundwater Development on Uranium: Central Valley, California, USA Effects of Groundwater Development on Uranium: Central Valley, California, USA

Uranium (U) concentrations in groundwater in several parts of the eastern San Joaquin Valley, California, have exceeded federal and state drinking water standards during the last 20 years. The San Joaquin Valley is located within the Central Valley of California and is one of the most productive agricultural areas in the world. Increased irrigation and pumping associated with...
Authors
Bryant C. Jurgens, Miranda S. Fram, Kenneth Belitz, Karen R. Burow, Matthew K. Landon

Urban streams across the USA: Lessons learned from studies in 9 metropolitan areas Urban streams across the USA: Lessons learned from studies in 9 metropolitan areas

Studies of the effects of urbanization on stream ecosystems have usually focused on single metropolitan areas. Synthesis of the results of such studies have been useful in developing general conceptual models of the effects of urbanization, but the strength of such generalizations is enhanced by applying consistent study designs and methods to multiple metropolitan areas across large...
Authors
Larry R. Brown, Thomas F. Cuffney, James F. Coles, Faith A. Fitzpatrick, Gerard McMahon, Jeffrey Steuer, Amanda H. Bell, Jason T. May

Metals and trace elements in giant garter snakes (Thamnophis gigas) from the Sacramento Valley, California, USA Metals and trace elements in giant garter snakes (Thamnophis gigas) from the Sacramento Valley, California, USA

The giant garter snake (GGS; Thamnophis gigas) is a federally listed threatened species endemic to wetlands of the Central Valley of California. Habitat destruction has been the main factor in the decline of GGS populations, but the effects of contaminants on this species are unknown. To contribute to the recovery of these snakes, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began studies of the...
Authors
Glenn D. Wylie, Roger L. Hothem, D.R. Bergen, Lisa L. Martin, Robert J. Taylor, Brianne E. Brussee

Ecological risk of heavy metals in sediments of the Luan river source water Ecological risk of heavy metals in sediments of the Luan river source water

Distribution and characteristics of heavy metals enrichment in sediment were surveyed including the bio-available form analyzed for assessment of the Luan River source water quality. The approaches of sediment quality guidelines (SQG), risk assessment code and Hakanson potential ecological risk index were used for the ecological risk assessment. According to SQG, The results show that in...
Authors
Jingling Liu, Yongli Li, Bao Zhang, Jinling Cao, Zhiguo Cao, Joseph L. Domagalski

Assessing the sources and magnitude of diurnal nitrate variability in the San Joaquin River (California) with an in situ optical nitrate sensor and dual nitrate isotopes Assessing the sources and magnitude of diurnal nitrate variability in the San Joaquin River (California) with an in situ optical nitrate sensor and dual nitrate isotopes

1. We investigated diurnal nitrate (NO3−) concentration variability in the San Joaquin River using an in situ optical NO3− sensor and discrete sampling during a 5‐day summer period characterized by high algal productivity. Dual NO3− isotopes (δ15NNO3 and δ18ONO3) and dissolved oxygen isotopes (δ18ODO) were measured over 2 days to assess NO3− sources and biogeochemical controls over...
Authors
Brian A. Pellerin, Bryan D. Downing, Carol Kendall, Randy A. Dahlgren, Tamara E.C. Kraus, John Franco Saraceno, Robert G. M. Spencer, Brian A. Bergamaschi

Mercury concentrations and loads in a large river system tributary to San Francisco Bay, California, USA Mercury concentrations and loads in a large river system tributary to San Francisco Bay, California, USA

In order to estimate total mercury (HgT) loads entering San Francisco Bay, USA, via the Sacramento-San Joaquin River system, unfiltered water samples were collected between January 2002 and January 2006 during high flow events and analyzed for HgT. Unfiltered HgT concentrations ranged from 3.2 to 75 ng/L and showed a strong correlation (r2 = 0.8, p < 0.001, n = 78) to suspended sediment
Authors
N. David, L.J. McKee, F.J. Black, A.R. Flegal, C.H. Conaway, D. H. Schoellhamer, N. K. Ganju

Assigning land use to supply wells for the statistical characterization of regional groundwater quality: Correlating urban land use and VOC occurrence Assigning land use to supply wells for the statistical characterization of regional groundwater quality: Correlating urban land use and VOC occurrence

Many national and regional groundwater studies have correlated land use "near" a well, often using a 500 m radius circle, with water quality. However, the use of a 500 m circle may seem counterintuitive given that contributing areas are expected to extend up-gradient from wells, and not be circular in shape. The objective of this study was to evaluate if a 500 m circle is adequate for...
Authors
T.D. Johnson, K. Belitz

User Manual for the Data-Series Interface of the Gr Application Software User Manual for the Data-Series Interface of the Gr Application Software

This manual describes the data-series interface for the Gr Application software. Basic tasks such as plotting, editing, manipulating, and printing data series are presented. The properties of the various types of data objects and graphical objects used within the application, and the relationships between them also are presented. Descriptions of compatible data-series file formats are...
Authors
John M. Donovan
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