Publications

The Atchafalaya River Basin is the largest remaining forested wetland in the contiguous United States. Since 1960, dredging and channel erosion in the Basin have resulted in changes to the hydrologic connectivity that have not been quantified. Analyses were conducted to determine the hydraulic and geomorphic factors that have changed since discharge became controlled that may have...

Within the state of Arkansas there is an increasing number of aging dams and levees that have little to no documentation concerning their construction or composition. Surface geophysical surveys offer a non-intrusive method for investigating these structures: To describe their lithologic makeup, to evaluate the materials that they were constructed upon, and to identify potential flow...

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Savannah Valley Utility District, evaluated the groundwater hydrology of the Valley and Ridge carbonate rock aquifer in northeastern Hamilton, southern Meigs, and northwestern Bradley Counties, Tennessee, from 2007 through 2009. The evaluation included, and built on, the results of test drilling conducted in the area in 1974 to...

Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) losses from agricultural areas have degraded the water quality of downstream rivers, lakes, and oceans. As a result, investment in the adoption of agricultural best management practices (BMPs) has grown, but assessments of their effectiveness at large spatial scales have lagged. This study applies regional Spatially Referenced Regression On Watershed...

In 2010 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife (USFWS) was petitioned to federally list the Manitou Cave Snail, (Antrorbis breweri ), a stygobiont endemic to Manitou Cave in northwestern Alabama. When an agency is tasked with determining whether to add a species to the Endangered Species List, one of the components examined is potential threats to the biota. Knowing the recharge area for a cave or...

Manganese (Mn) concentrations and the probability of arsenic (As) exceeding the drinking-water standard of 10 μg/L were predicted in the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer (MRVA) using boosted regression trees (BRT). BRT, a type of ensemble-tree machine-learning model, were created using predictor variables that affect Mn and As distribution in groundwater. These variables...

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Alabama Department of Transportation, evaluated the role of culvert construction in altering streams and habitats of benthic macroinvertebrate communities at selected study sites in the northern East Gulf Coastal Plain of Alabama during 2011–19. Analysis included examinations of changes in stream channel geometry, suspended sediment...

A concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) established in Newton County, Arkansas, near Big Creek, a tributary of the Buffalo National River, raised concern about potential degradation of water quality in the karst watershed. In this study, isotopic tools were combined with standard geochemical approaches to characterize nutrient sources and dynamics in the Big Creek watershed. An...

This report describes a new screening tool to examine lake and reservoir susceptibility to eutrophication in selected watersheds of the eastern and southeastern United States using estimated nutrient loading and flushing rates with measures of waterbody morphometry. To that end, the report documents the compiled data and methods (R-script) used to categorize waterbodies by Carlson’s...

This research reports the findings of a Landsat Next expert review panel that evaluated the use of narrow shortwave infrared (SWIR) reflectance bands to measure ligno-cellulose absorption features centered near 2100 and 2300 nm, with the objective of measuring and mapping non-photosynthetic vegetation (NPV), crop residue cover, and the adoption of conservation tillage practices within...

Vernal pools of the northeastern United States provide important breeding habitat for amphibians but may be sensitive to droughts and climate change. These seasonal wetlands typically fill by early spring and dry by mid-to-late summer. Because climate change may produce earlier and stronger growing-season evapotranspiration combined with increasing droughts and shifts in precipitation...

Information concerning the availability, use, and quality of water in Grant Parish, Louisiana, is critical for proper water-supply management. The purpose of this fact sheet is to present information that can be used by water managers, parish residents, and others for stewardship of this vital resource. In 2014, about 5.43 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) of water were withdrawn in Grant...