Kansas Water Science Center
Publications
The tide turns: Episodic and localized cross-contamination of a California coastline with cyanotoxins
The contamination of coastal ecosystems from a variety of toxins of marine algal origin is a common and well-documented situation along the coasts of the United States and globally. The occurrence of toxins originating from cyanobacteria along marine coastlines is much less studied, and little information exists on whether toxins from marine and...
Tatters, Avery O.; Smith, Jayme; Kudela, Raphael M.; Hayashi, Kendra; Howard, Meredith D. A.; Donovan, Ariel; Loftin, Keith; Caron, David A.
Spatial and temporal variability of nutrients and algae in the Republican River and Milford Lake, Kansas, June through November 2017 and May through November 2018
Milford Lake has been listed as impaired and designated hypereutrophic because of excessive nutrient loading, specifically biologically available orthophosphate. It is the largest lake by surface area in Kansas and is a reservoir built for purposes including water supply and recreation. In 2015, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (...
Leiker, Brianna M.; Abel, Justin R.; Graham, Jennifer L.; Foster, Guy M.; King, Lindsey R.; Stiles, Tom C.; Buley, Riley P. Environmental and anthropogenic drivers of contaminants in agricultural watersheds with implications for land management
If not managed properly, modern agricultural practices can alter surface and groundwater quality and drinking water resources resulting in potential negative effects on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Exposure to agriculturally derived contaminant mixtures has the potential to alter habitat quality and negatively affect fish and other aquatic...
Smalling, Kelly; Devereux, Olivia H.; Gordon, Stephanie; Phillips, Patrick J.; Blazer, Vicki S.; Hladik, Michelle; Kolpin, Dana W.; Meyer, Michael T.; Sperry, Adam; Wagner, Tyler Multiple co-occurring and persistently detected cyanotoxins and associated cyanobacteria in adjacent California lakes
The global proliferation of toxin producing cyanobacterial blooms has been attributed to a wide variety of environmental factors with nutrient pollution, increased temperatures, and drought being three of the most significant. The current study is the first formal assessment of cyanotoxins in two impaired lakes, Canyon Lake and Lake Elsinore, in...
Howard, Meredith D. A.; Kudela, Raphael M.; Hayashi, Kendra; Tatters, Avery O.; Caron, David A.; Theroux, Susanna; Oehrle, Stuart; Roethler, Miranda; Donovan, Ariel; Loftin, Keith; Laughrey, Zachary
Streamflow—Water year 2019
The maps and graphs in this summary describe national streamflow conditions for water year 2019 (October 1, 2018, to September 30, 2019) in the context of streamflow ranks relative to the 90-year period of water years 1930–2019. Annual runoff in the Nation’s rivers and streams during water year 2019 (13.62 inches) was much higher than the long-...
Jian, Xiaodong; Wolock, David M.; Lins, Harry F.; Brady, Steven J. Exploring the potential value of satellite remote sensing to monitor chlorophyll-a for U.S. lakes and reservoirs
Assessment of chlorophyll-a, an algal pigment, typically measured by field and laboratory in situ analyses, is used to estimate algal abundance and trophic status in lakes and reservoirs. In situ-based monitoring programs can be expensive, may not be spatially, and temporally comprehensive and results may not be available in the timeframe needed...
Papenfus, Michael; Schaeffer, Blake; Pollard, Amina; Loftin, Keith
Ecological forecasting—21st century science for 21st century management
Natural resource managers are coping with rapid changes in both environmental conditions and ecosystems. Enabled by recent advances in data collection and assimilation, short-term ecological forecasting may be a powerful tool to help resource managers anticipate impending near-term changes in ecosystem conditions or dynamics. Managers may use the...
Bradford, John B.; Weltzin, Jake F.; Mccormick, Molly; Baron, Jill; Bowen, Zack; Bristol, Sky; Carlisle, Daren; Crimmins, Theresa; Cross, Paul; DeVivo, Joe; Dietze, Mike; Freeman, Mary; Goldberg, Jason; Hooten, Mevin; Hsu, Leslie; Jenni, Karen; Keisman, Jennifer L.; Kennen, Jonathan; Lee, Kathy; Lesmes, David; Loftin, Keith; Miller, Brian W.; Murdoch, Peter; Newman, Jana; Prentice, Karen L.; Rangwala, Imtiaz; Read, Jordan; Sieracki, Jennifer; Sofaer, Helen; Thur, Steve; Toevs, Gordon; Werner, Francisco; White, C. LeAnn; White, Timothy; Wiltermuth, Mark
Brianna postcard
Brianna is a hydrologist in the Hydrologic Investigations (Studies) Unit. She received a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering and a master’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Kansas.
Brad postcard
Brad is a hydrologist in the Surface Water Investigation Unit. He received his bachelor of science degree in natural sciences from Concordia University in Wisconsin and his master’s degree in freshwater sciences from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Hydrologic technician postcard
Hydrologic technicians collect water data related to water quantity, quality, availability, and movement in surface-water and groundwater environments.For more information, visit https://www.usajobs.gov.
Chantelle postcard
Chantelle is a hydrologist in the Surface Water Investigation Unit. She received her bachelor of science degree in environmental geology from the University of Kansas.
Hydrologist postcard
Hydrologists study the properties, distribution, and effects of water on the Earth’s surface, in the soil and underlying rocks, and in the atmosphere.For more information, visit https://www.usajobs.gov.