Publications

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) evaluated nitrate and orthophosphate concentrations in groundwater for temporal trends (monotonic and step trends) for the middle Snake River region (Cassia, Gooding, Jerome, Lincoln, Minidoka, and Twin Falls Counties) in south-central Idaho using the Regional Kendall test (monotonic trends) and the Wilcoxon signed rank test (step trends). The study evaluated two

Algal blooms around the world are increasing in frequency and severity, often with the possibility of adverse effects on human and ecosystem health. The health and economic impacts associated with harmful algal blooms, or HABs, provide compelling rationale for developing new methods for monitoring these events via remote sensing. Although concentrations of chlorophyll-a and key pigments like phyco

Selenium entering the 90-mile long transboundary Koocanusa Reservoir (also called Lake Koocanusa) in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, and northwestern Montana, United States, has been measured at concentrations above State and Federal water-quality and aquatic life standards. The reservoir is within the international Kootenai (or “Kootenay” in Canada) drainage basin, which contains critical

This report summarizes the historical development and operations, from 2002 to 2020, of the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) hydrologic monitoring and investigative programs at the Idaho National Laboratory in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy. The report covers the USGS’s programs for water-level monitoring, water-quality sampling, geochemical studies, geophysical logging, geologic fr

Stream permanence classifications (i.e., perennial, intermittent, ephemeral) are a primary consideration to determine stream regulatory status in the United States (U.S.) and are an important indicator of environmental conditions and biodiversity. However, at present, no models or products adequately describe surface water presence for regulatory determinations. We modified the Thornthwaite monthl

With improved analytical techniques, environmental monitoring studies are increasingly able to report the occurrence of tens or hundreds of chemicals per site, making it difficult to identify the most relevant chemicals from a biological standpoint. For this study, organic chemical occurrence was examined, individually and as mixtures, in the context of potential biological effects. Sediment was c

In 2019, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, drilled and constructed boreholes USGS 148A and USGS 149 for stratigraphic framework analyses and long-term groundwater monitoring of the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) in southeastern Idaho. Initially, boreholes USGS 148A and USGS 149 were continuously cored to

To quantify fine-scale Kootenai River white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) staging and spawning habitat selection and preference within a recently restored reach of the Kootenai River, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, integrated acoustic telemetry data with two-dimensional hydraulic model simulations within a 1.5-kilometer reach of the Kootena

Placer and dredging operations in the Yankee Fork Basin, Idaho, have left more than 5 miles of the lower Yankee Fork of the Salmon River (Yankee Fork) in a highly altered fluvial condition, resulting in poor habitat quantity and quality for native fish species. Since 2011, the Bureau of Reclamation and other stakeholders have implemented a series of restoration efforts to improve the connectivity

Water resources in the Big Lost River Basin, Idaho are vital to irrigated agriculture, domestic, municipal and other uses but declining groundwater levels, diminished streamflows, and concern about drought motivated an evaluation of water resources in the basin. This multichapter volume documents the findings of a hydrogeologic investigation of the Big Lost River Basin that was jointly conducted b

The Big Lost River of south-central Idaho interacts with the underlying aquifer by gaining and losing streamflow throughout various areas in the Big Lost River Valley. Surface-water and groundwater resources are used throughout the valley to sustain domestic, agricultural, and livestock needs. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Idaho Department of Water Resources, evaluated stream

Surface-water and groundwater resources in the Big Lost River Basin of south-central Idaho are extensively interconnected; this interchange affects and is affected by water-resource management for irrigated agriculture and other uses in the basin. Concerns from water users regarding declining groundwater levels, declining streamflows, and drought helped motivate an updated evaluation of water reso