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Publications

New York Water Science Center publications

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Filter Total Items: 688

Atmospheric nitrogen deposition in the Chesapeake Bay watershed: A history of change

The Chesapeake Bay watershed has been the focus of pioneering studies of the role of atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition as a nutrient source and driver of estuarine trophic status. Here, we review the history and evolution of scientific investigations of the role of atmospheric N deposition, examine trends from wet and dry deposition networks, and present century-long (1950–2050) atmospheric N de
Authors
Douglas A. Burns, Gopal Bhatt, Lewis C. Linker, Jesse Bash, Paul Capel, Gary W. Shenk

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 (KDHE) divided the lake into three zones (Zones A, B, a
Authors
Brianna M. Leiker, Justin R. Abel, Jennifer L. Graham, Guy M. Foster, Lindsey R. King, Tom C. Stiles, Riley P. Buley

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 organisms. Implementation of conservation practices
Authors
Kelly L. Smalling, Olivia Devereux, Stephanie Gordon, Patrick J. Phillips, Vicki S. Blazer, Michelle Hladik, Dana W. Kolpin, Michael T. Meyer, Adam Sperry, Tyler Wagner

Biological and chemical recovery of acidified Catskill Mountain streams in response to the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990

Decades of acidic deposition have adversely affected aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems in acid-sensitive watersheds in parts of the eastern United States. The national Acid Rain Program (Title IV of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments - CAAA) helped reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) and resulted in sharp decreases in the acidity of atmospheric deposition. The decrea
Authors
Barry P. Baldigo, Scott D. George, Dylan R. Winterhalter, Michael McHale

Beware of spatial autocorrelation when applying machine learning algorithms to borehole geophysical logs

Although many of the algorithms now considered to be machine learning algorithms (MLAs) have existed for nearly a century (e.g., Rosenblatt 1958), interest in MLAs has recently increased exponentially for solving data-driven problems across a variety of fields due to the expanded availability of large, complex datasets that may be difficult to interrogate using other methods, increases in computin
Authors
Neil Terry, Carole D. Johnson, Frederick Day-Lewis, Beth L. Parker, Lee D. Slater

Assessment of flood forecast products for a coupled tributary-Coastal model

Compound flooding, resulting from a combination of riverine and coastal processes, is a complex but important hazard to resolve along urbanized shorelines in the vicinity of river mouths. However, inland flooding models rarely consider oceanographic conditions, and vice versa for coastal flood models. Here, we describe the development of an operational, integrated coastal-watershed flooding model
Authors
Robert Cifelli, Lynn E. Johnson, Jungho Kim, Tim Coleman, Greg Pratt, Liv M. Herdman, Rosanne C. Martyr-Koller, Juliette Finzi-Hart, Li H. Erikson, Patrick L. Barnard, Michael Anderson

Have sustained acidic deposition decreases led to increased calcium availability in recovering watersheds of the Adirondack region of New York, USA?

Soil calcium depletion has been strongly linked to acidic deposition in eastern North America and recent studies have begun to document the recovery of soils in response to large decreases in acidic deposition. However, increased calcium availability has not yet been seen in the B horizon, where calcium depletion has been most acute, but mineral weathering is critically important for resupplying e
Authors
Gregory B. Lawrence, Jason Siemion, Michael R. Antidormi, Donald B. Bonville, Michael McHale

Trends in precipitation chemistry across the U.S. 1985–2017: Quantifying the benefits from 30 years of Clean Air Act amendment regulation

Acid rain was first recognized in the 1970s in North America and Europe as an atmospheric pollutant that was causing harm to ecosystems. In response, the U.S. Congress enacted Title IV of the Clean Air Act Amendments (CAA) in 1990 to reduce sulfur and nitrogen emissions from fossil fuel burning power plants. This study reports trends in wet-precipitation chemistry in response to emissions reductio
Authors
Michael McHale, Amy Ludtke, Gregory A. Wetherbee, Douglas A. Burns, Mark A. Nilles, Jason S. Finkelstein

Methods of data collection and analysis for an assessment of karst aquifer systems between Albany and Buffalo, New York

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, catalogued aquifers and closed depressions in a karst-prone area between Albany and Buffalo, New York to provide resource managers information to more efficiently manage and protect groundwater resources. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has been working with the
Authors
Bradley A. Sporleder, Benjamin N. Fisher, Douglas S. Keto, William M. Kappel, James E. Reddy, Laura M. DeMott

The response of streams to changes in atmospheric deposition of sulfur and nitrogen in the Adirondack Mountains

Acidic deposition is the result of upwind sulfur (S) and nitrogen (N) emissions into the atmosphere from human activities. Environmental impacts from acidic deposition across forested landscapes include acidification of soil and drainage water, depletion of available soil nutrient bases, and impacts to and changes in forest and aquatic species composition and biodiversity. Acidic deposition can mo
Authors
Charles T. Driscoll, Shuai Shao, Timothy J. Sullivan, Todd C. McDonnell, Barry P. Baldigo, Douglas A. Burns, Gregory B. Lawrence

Assessment of methods for soil monitoring in the Adirondack region of New York

Repeated sampling to detect changes in forest soils was rarely used before 1990, but the value of soil monitoring in understanding environmental change is becoming well established. The growing number of resampling studies has shown that sampling designs and procedures must be adapted to the objectives of the monitoring program and the soils being monitored. In the Adirondack region, current pri
Authors
Gregory B. Lawrence, Michael R. Antidormi

Procedures and best practices for trigonometric leveling in the U.S. Geological Survey

With the advent of highly precise total stations and modern surveying instrumentation, trigonometric leveling has become a compelling alternative to conventional leveling methods for establishing vertical-control networks and for perpetuating a datum to field sites. Previous studies of trigonometric-leveling measurement uncertainty proclaim that first-, second-, and third-order accuracies may be a
Authors
Michael L. Noll, Paul H. Rydlund
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