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Publications

These publications are written or co-authored by Central Midwest Water Science Center personnel in conjuction with their work at the USGS and other government agencies.  They include USGS reports, journal articles, conference proceedings, and published abstracts that  are available in the USGS Publications  Warehouse.

Filter Total Items: 938

Real-time telemetry and multi-state modeling

This project will result in real-time data and other invasive carp movement information to inform realtime management decisions and refine the SEICarP model. FY 2022 funding will produce final transition probability estimates from the newly-developed Bayesian multi-state model, continue the maintenance of real-time telemetry to inform contingency actions, and produce a study plan to refine fishing
Authors
Marybeth K. Brey, Brent C. Knights, P. Ryan Jackson, Jessica C. Stanton, Douglas Appel, James J. Duncker, Andrea K. Fritts

Floods of June 21–July 1, 2018, in the Floyd River and Little Sioux River Basins, northwestern Iowa

The Floyd River and Little Sioux River Basins in northwestern Iowa flooded on June 21–July 1, 2018, after sustained rainfall on June 14–27, 2018. Within the Floyd River Basin, rainfall totals from June 14 to 21 preceding flooding were 3.01 inches (in.) at Le Mars, 4.50 in. at Orange City, and 7.44 in. at Sheldon. Within the Little Sioux River Basin, rainfall amounts for the 2-week period from June
Authors
Padraic S. O'Shea, Jordan L. Wilson, Jared C. Vegrzyn, Kimberlee K. Barnes

The role of hydraulic and geomorphic complexity in predicting invasive carp spawning potential: St. Croix River, Minnesota and Wisconsin, United States

Since they were first introduced to the United States more than 50 years ago, invasive carp have rapidly colonized rivers of the Mississippi River Basin, with detrimental effects on native aquatic species. Their continued range expansion, and potential for subsequent invasion of the Great Lakes, has led to increased concern for the susceptibility of as-yet uncompromised lotic and lentic systems in
Authors
Alan Kasprak, P. Ryan Jackson, Evan M. Lindroth, J. William Lund, Jeffrey R. Ziegeweid

Bathymetric and velocimetric surveys at highway bridges crossing the Missouri River near Kansas City, Missouri, August 2019, August 2020, and October 2020

Bathymetric and velocimetric data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Transportation, near 9 bridges at 8 highway crossings of the Missouri River near Kansas City, Missouri, on August 13–14, 2019. A multibeam echosounder mapping system was used to obtain channel-bed elevations for river reaches about 1,550 to 1,660 feet longitudinally and ge
Authors
Richard J. Huizinga

A steady-state groundwater flow model for the Des Moines River alluvial aquifer near Prospect Park, Des Moines, Iowa

The Des Moines River alluvial aquifer is an important source of water for Des Moines Water Works, the municipal water utility that provides residential and commercial water resources to the residents of Des Moines, Iowa, and surrounding municipalities. As an initial step in developing a better understanding of the groundwater resources of the Des Moines River alluvial aquifer, the U.S. Geological
Authors
Kendall M. FitzGerald, Wonsook S. Ha, Adel E. Haj, Lance R. Gruhn, Emilia L. Bristow, Jared R. Weber

Continuous monitoring of nutrient and sediment loads from the Des Plaines River at Route 53 at Joliet, Illinois, water years 2018–20

The Des Plaines River in southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois is the principal conduit for the discharge of wastewater effluent and stormwater runoff from the greater Chicago metropolitan area. In November 2017, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, installed a continuous monitoring station to measure water quality and s
Authors
Colin S. Peake, Timothy O. Hodson

Food, beverage, and feedstock processing facility wastewater: A unique and underappreciated source of contaminants to U.S. streams

Process wastewaters from food, beverage, and feedstock facilities, although regulated, are an under-investigated environmental contaminant source. Food process wastewaters (FPWWs) from 23 facilities in 17 U.S. states were sampled and documented for a plethora of chemical and microbial contaminants. Of the 576 analyzed organics, 184 (32%) were detected at least once, with concentrations as large as
Authors
Laura E. Hubbard, Dana W. Kolpin, Carrie E Givens, Bradley D. Blackwell, Paul M. Bradley, James L. Gray, Rachael F. Lane, Jason R. Masoner, R. Blaine McCleskey, Kristin M. Romanok, Mark W. Sandstrom, Kelly L. Smalling, Daniel L. Villeneuve

Emerging control strategies for integrated pest management of invasive carps

Invasive carps are ecologically and economically problematic fish species in many large river basins in the United States and pose a threat to aquatic ecosystems throughout much of North America. Four species of invasive carps: black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus), grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis), are part
Authors
Aaron R. Cupp, Marybeth K. Brey, Robin Calfee, Duane Chapman, Richard A. Erickson, Jesse Robert Fischer, Andrea K. Fritts, Amy E. George, P. Ryan Jackson, Brent C. Knights, Gavin Nicholas Saari, Patrick Kočovský

Mean squared error, deconstructed

As science becomes increasingly cross-disciplinary and scientific models become increasingly cross-coupled, standardized practices of model evaluation are more important than ever. For normally distributed data, mean squared error (MSE) is ideal as an objective measure of model performance, but it gives little insight into what aspects of model performance are “good” or “bad.” This apparent weakne
Authors
Timothy O. Hodson, Thomas M. Over, Sydney Foks

Total phosphorus loadings for the Cedar River at Palo, Iowa, 2009–20

In support of nutrient reduction efforts, total phosphorus loads and yields were computed using turbidity-surrogate and LOAD ESTimator (LOADEST) models for the Cedar River at Palo, Iowa, for January 1, 2009, to December 15, 2020. Sample data were used to create a total phosphorus concentration turbidity-surrogate model. Total phosphorus loads also were computed from two streamflow-based LOADEST lo
Authors
Jessica D. Garrett

Continuous monitoring and Bayesian estimation of nutrient and sediment loads from Illinois watersheds, for water years 2016–2020

The State of Illinois is one of the leading contributors of nitrogen, phosphorus, and suspended sediment to the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. During water years 2016–20, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, operated continuous monitoring stations on eight major rivers in Illinois to better quantify nutrient and sediment loadings
Authors
Timothy O. Hodson, Paul J. Terrio, Colin S. Peake, David J. Fazio

Hydrologic and water-quality conditions in the Cedar River alluvial aquifer, Linn County, Iowa, 1990–2019

Alluvial aquifers in Iowa have more wells with nitrate exceeding drinking-water standards than other aquifers; are susceptible to contamination by organic contaminants; and have high concentrations of naturally occurring iron and manganese in depositional areas that contain abundant organic matter. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the City of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, studied the Cedar Ri
Authors
Stephen J. Kalkhoff