Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Publications

Publications

Filter Total Items: 1263

Technical note—Relative variability of selected turbidity standards and sensors in use by the U.S. Geological Survey Technical note—Relative variability of selected turbidity standards and sensors in use by the U.S. Geological Survey

The challenges associated with field measurements of turbidity are well known and result primarily from differences in reported values that depend on instrument design and the resulting need for reporting units that are specific to those designs. A critical challenge for making comparable turbidity measurements is the selection and use of appropriate turbidity standards for sensor...
Authors
Guy M. Foster, Lindsey R. King, John D. Jastram, John K. Joiner, Brian A. Pellerin, Jennifer L. Graham, Thomas J. Williams

Satellites for long-term monitoring of inland U.S. lakes: The MERIS time series and application for chlorophyll-a Satellites for long-term monitoring of inland U.S. lakes: The MERIS time series and application for chlorophyll-a

Lakes and other surface fresh waterbodies provide drinking water, recreational and economic opportunities, food, and other critical support for humans, aquatic life, and ecosystem health. Lakes are also productive ecosystems that provide habitats and influence global cycles. Chlorophyll concentration provides a common metric of water quality, and is frequently used as a proxy for lake...
Authors
Bridget Seegers, P. Jeremy Werdell, Ryan Vandermeulen, Wilson Salls, Richard Stumpf, Blake Schaeffer, Tommy Owens, Sean Bailey, Joel Scott, Keith A. Loftin

Streamflow—Water year 2020 Streamflow—Water year 2020

The maps and graphs in this summary describe national streamflow conditions for water year 2020 (October 1, 2019, to September 30, 2020) in the context of streamflow ranks relative to the 91-year period of water years 1930–2020. Annual runoff in the Nation’s rivers and streams during water year 2020 (11.10 inches) was higher than the long-term (1930–2020) mean annual runoff of 9.40...
Authors
Xiaodong Jian, David M. Wolock, Harry F. Lins, Ronald J. Henderson, Steven J. Brady

Occurrence, fate, and transport of aerially applied herbicides to control invasive buffelgrass within Saguaro National Park Rincon Mountain District, Arizona, 2015–18 Occurrence, fate, and transport of aerially applied herbicides to control invasive buffelgrass within Saguaro National Park Rincon Mountain District, Arizona, 2015–18

The spread of the invasive and fire-adapted buffelgrass (Cenchrus ciliaris L.) threatens desert ecosystems by competing for resources, increasing fuel loads, and creating wildfire connectivity. The Rincon Mountain District of Saguaro National Park addressed this natural resource threat with the use of glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs). In 2010, the Rincon Mountain District initiated an...
Authors
Nicholas V. Paretti, Kimberly R. Beisner, Bruce Gungle, Michael T. Meyer, Bethany K. Kunz, Edyth Hermosillo, Jay R. Cederberg, Justine P. Mayo

Hydrologic conditions in Kansas, water year 2020 Hydrologic conditions in Kansas, water year 2020

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Federal, State, and local agencies, maintains a long-term network of hydrologic monitoring stations in Kansas. This network included 219 real-time streamgages, 12 real-time reservoir-level monitoring stations, and 20 groundwater monitoring stations in water year (WY) 2020. A WY is a 12-month period from October 1 to September 30 and is...
Authors
Chantelle Davis

Assessment of water-quality constituents monitored for total maximum daily loads in Johnson County, Kansas, January 2015 through December 2018 Assessment of water-quality constituents monitored for total maximum daily loads in Johnson County, Kansas, January 2015 through December 2018

Stormwater discharges from municipalities are regulated by provisions in the Clean Water Act of 1972 to protect the Nation’s water resources from harmful pollutants. In 2014, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment issued new stormwater discharge permits for 17 municipalities in Johnson County, Kansas, in the northeastern part of the State. The county is largely suburban and has...
Authors
Brianna M. Leiker, Teresa J. Rasmussen, Patrick J. Eslick-Huff, Colin C. Painter

Groundwater quality and age of secondary bedrock aquifers in the glaciated portion of eastern Nebraska, 2016–18 Groundwater quality and age of secondary bedrock aquifers in the glaciated portion of eastern Nebraska, 2016–18

The Eastern Nebraska Water Resources Assessment (ENWRA) project was initiated in 2006 to assist water managers by developing a hydrogeologic framework and water budget for the glaciated portion of eastern Nebraska. Within the ENWRA area, the primary groundwater sources for municipal, domestic, and irrigation water needs are provided by withdrawals from alluvial, buried paleovalley, and...
Authors
Christopher M. Hobza, Amanda T. Flynn

Multiple in-stream stressors degrade biological assemblages in five U.S. regions Multiple in-stream stressors degrade biological assemblages in five U.S. regions

Biological assemblages in streams are affected by a wide variety of physical and chemical stressors associated with land-use development, yet the importance of combinations of different types of stressors is not well known. From 2013 to 2017, the U.S. Geological Survey completed multi-stressor/multi-assemblage stream ecological assessments in five regions of the United States (434...
Authors
Ian R. Waite, Peter C. Van Metre, Patrick W. Moran, Christopher P. Konrad, Lisa H. Nowell, Michael R. Meador, Mark D. Munn, Travis S. Schmidt, Allen C. Gellis, Daren M. Carlisle, Paul M. Bradley, Barbara Mahler

U.S. Geological Survey science for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative—2018 annual report U.S. Geological Survey science for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative—2018 annual report

The Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI) was established in 2007 as a collaborative interagency partnership to develop and implement science-based conservation actions. During the past 11 years, partners from U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), State and Federal land management agencies, universities, and the public have collaborated to implement a long-term (more than 10 years)...
Authors
Patrick J. Anderson, Cameron L. Aldridge, Jason S. Alexander, Timothy J. Assal, Steven Aulenbach, Zachary H. Bowen, Anna D. Chalfoun, Geneva W. Chong, Holly Copeland, David R. Edmunds, Steve Germaine, Tabitha A. Graves, Julie A. Heinrichs, Collin G. Homer, Christopher Huber, Aaron N. Johnston, Matthew J. Kauffman, Daniel J. Manier, Ryan R. McShane, Cheryl A. Eddy-Miller, Kirk A. Miller, Adrian P. Monroe, Michael S. O’Donnell, Anna Ortega, Annika W. Walters, Daniel J. Wieferich, Teal B. Wyckoff, Linda Zeigenfuss

Assessing cyanobacterial frequency and abundance at surface waters near drinking water intakes across the United States Assessing cyanobacterial frequency and abundance at surface waters near drinking water intakes across the United States

This study presents the first large-scale assessment of cyanobacterial frequency and abundance of surface water near drinking water intakes across the United States. Public water systems serve drinking water to nearly 90% of the United States population. Cyanobacteria and their toxins may degrade the quality of finished drinking water and can lead to negative health consequences...
Authors
Megan Coffer, Blake A. Schaeffer, Katherine Foreman, Alex Porteous, Keith A. Loftin, Richard Stumpf, Jeremy Werdell, Erin Urquhart, Ryan Albert, John Darling

Sediment concentrations and loads upstream from and through John Redmond Reservoir, east-central Kansas, 2010–19 Sediment concentrations and loads upstream from and through John Redmond Reservoir, east-central Kansas, 2010–19

Streambank erosion and reservoir sedimentation are primary concerns of resource managers in Kansas and throughout many regions of the United States and negatively affect flood control, water supply, and recreation. The Cottonwood and upper Neosho Rivers drain into John Redmond Reservoir, and since reservoir completion in 1964, there has been substantial conservation-pool sedimentation...
Authors
Ariele R. Kramer, Cara L. Peterman-Phipps, Matthew D. Mahoney, Bradley S. Lukasz

Satellite remote sensing to assess cyanobacterial bloom frequency across the United States at multiple spatial scales Satellite remote sensing to assess cyanobacterial bloom frequency across the United States at multiple spatial scales

Cyanobacterial blooms can have negative effects on human health and local ecosystems. Field monitoring of cyanobacterial blooms can be costly, but satellite remote sensing has shown utility for more efficient spatial and temporal monitoring across the United States. Here, satellite imagery was used to assess the annual frequency of surface cyanobacterial blooms, defined for each...
Authors
Megan M. Coffer, Blake Schaeffer, Wilson B. Salls, Erin Urquhart, Keith A. Loftin, Richard P. Stumpf, P. Jeremy Werdell, John A. Darling
Was this page helpful?