Environmental Monitoring

Scientists will be collecting field water-quality parameters and samples for laboratory analysis of nutrients, silica, and suspended sediment at the USGS Ohio River at Ironton, OH gaging station and the Green River at Spottsville, KY gaging station on a monthly basis. Stable isotope water samples also will be collected at the Green River site. The Ohio River at Ironton, OH site will serve, along...

What is the groundwater contribution to nitrates in surface water? That's the question we are trying to answer by looking at surface-water and groundwater interaction and the role each play in the movement of nitrates. We have added additional monitoring equipment to the USGS super gage Kankakee River at Davis, IN , which will allow us to calculate the nitrate load in groundwater using flow...

The National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) is a 40-year old organization of federal, state, local, academic, tribal, and private entities who support operation of 5 national monitoring networks. Kentucky and Indiana operate 3 National Trends Network (NTN) sites as part of the National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP). Monitoring for NTN is consistent, standardized, high quality...

Litterfall is leaves, needles, flowers, fruit, and debris found on the forest floor. Litterfall sampling can be an effective tool for monitoring elements like Mercury. Mercury in litterfall is primarily from the atmosphere and contributes to the higher amounts of mercury dry deposition that accumulates in forested areas compared to non-forested areas. INKY scientists collect litterfall as part of...

The Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Water Science Center Algal Biomass Laboratory processes samples for chlorophyll-a and nutrients. The analytical data for chlorophyll-a and pheophytin provided by USGS [periphyton samples collected by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM)] are used by IDEM for water quality assessment and nutrient management planning.

Water Science Center scientists monitor several rivers in Kentucky as part of the USGS National Water-Quality Program (NWQP) . As part of the NWQP program , USGS scientists from across the country are determine the status and trends of loads and concentrations of contaminants, nutrients, and sediment in the Nation’s large rivers.

Scientists are using the Ecomapper Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) to collect imagery, bathymetry, and basic water-quality parameters. The Ecomapper provides a innovative visualization of data.

Davis Branch, a stream within the boundaries of Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, is a designated Warm Water Aquatic Habitat, Primary Contact Recreation, and Outstanding State Resource Water. Historically, the stream has provided a critical habitat to the federally-threatened Blackside Dace, a small cyprinid fish endemic to the upper Cumberland River basin. In recent decades, the...