Susquehanna River and Basin Active
In Pennsylvania, the USGS's water-resources roots date back to the late 1800's, with the initiation of streamflow gaging on the Susquehanna and Delaware Rivers and assessments of groundwater resources near Philadelphia. The USGS Pennsylvania Water Science Center continues to provide scientific information about the water resources of the Susquehanna River Basin, in cooperation with regional and local agencies and stakeholders, and with other USGS Water Science Centers and national programs.
Recently, crews from the Pennsylvania Water Science Center New Cumberland office undertook a project to remove a set of concrete stairs leading down an embankment to streamgaging station Susquehanna River at Harrisburg (01570500) located on Harrisburg’s City Island. City Island offers many popular recreational activities resulting in high pedestrian traffic. The stairs removal will improve public safety and the aesthetics of the surrounding area. Aging streamgages are routinely upgraded to improve safety and enhance data collection quality. USGS has been collecting streamflow data at this location since 1890, which makes it one of the oldest stations in the Pennsylvania streamgaging network.
Also see Pennsylvania and the Chesapeake Bay Watershed for science related to the effects of the Susquehanna River and other Pennsylvania streams on water quality in the Chesapeake Bay.
USGS national programs in the Susquehanna River Basin in Pennsylvania have included the National Water Quality Program and Chesapeake Bay Activities.
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Pennsylvania and the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Below are related data.
Below are multimedia items associated with this project.
Use of stable isotopes of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur to identify sources of nitrogen in surface waters in the lower Susquehanna River basin, Pennsylvania
Summary of and factors affecting pesticide concentrations in streams and shallow wells of the lower Susquehanna River basin, Pennsylvania and Maryland, 1993-95
Occurrence of organochlorine compounds in whole fish tissue from streams of the lower Susquehanna River Basin, Pennsylvania and Maryland, 1992
Relation of algal biomass to characteristics of selected streams in the Lower Susquehanna River basin
Water quality in the lower Susquehanna River basin, Pennsylvania and Maryland, 1992-95
Fish communities and their relation to physical and chemical characteristics of streams from selected environmental settings in the Lower Susquehanna River basin, 1993-95
Water-quality assessment of the Lower Susquehanna River Basin, Pennsylvania and Maryland: Design and implementation of water-quality studies, 1992-95
Water-quality assessment of the Lower Susquehanna River Basin, Pennsylvania and Maryland: sources, characteristics, analysis and limitations of nutrient and suspended-sediment data, 1975-90
Loads and yields of nutrients and suspended sediment in the Susquehanna River basin, 1985-89
Nitrate in ground water and stream base flow in the lower Susquehanna River Basin, Pennsylvania and Maryland
Occurrence and concentrations of volatile organic compounds in shallow ground water in the Lower Susquehanna River Basin, Pennsylvania and Maryland
Bacteriological quality of ground water used for household supply, Lower Susquehanna River basin, Pennsylvania and Maryland
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- Overview
In Pennsylvania, the USGS's water-resources roots date back to the late 1800's, with the initiation of streamflow gaging on the Susquehanna and Delaware Rivers and assessments of groundwater resources near Philadelphia. The USGS Pennsylvania Water Science Center continues to provide scientific information about the water resources of the Susquehanna River Basin, in cooperation with regional and local agencies and stakeholders, and with other USGS Water Science Centers and national programs.
Recently, crews from the Pennsylvania Water Science Center New Cumberland office undertook a project to remove a set of concrete stairs leading down an embankment to streamgaging station Susquehanna River at Harrisburg (01570500) located on Harrisburg’s City Island. City Island offers many popular recreational activities resulting in high pedestrian traffic. The stairs removal will improve public safety and the aesthetics of the surrounding area. Aging streamgages are routinely upgraded to improve safety and enhance data collection quality. USGS has been collecting streamflow data at this location since 1890, which makes it one of the oldest stations in the Pennsylvania streamgaging network.
Also see Pennsylvania and the Chesapeake Bay Watershed for science related to the effects of the Susquehanna River and other Pennsylvania streams on water quality in the Chesapeake Bay.
USGS national programs in the Susquehanna River Basin in Pennsylvania have included the National Water Quality Program and Chesapeake Bay Activities.
- Science
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Pennsylvania and the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
USGS provides monitoring, analysis, modeling and research on streams and water quality to better understand the fate and transport of nutrients and sediment to the Susquehanna and other rivers, and their tributaries, and eventually to the Chesapeake Bay. Additional research focuses on emerging contaminants and other stressors that effect human and aquatic life in the watershed and estuary. - Data
Below are related data.
- Multimedia
Below are multimedia items associated with this project.
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 63
Use of stable isotopes of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur to identify sources of nitrogen in surface waters in the lower Susquehanna River basin, Pennsylvania
With the exception of sewage and septic effluents, most nitrogen sources and soils contain larger proportions of organic and reduced forms of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur than inorganic, oxidized forms. In contrast, most surface water and ground water contains larger proportions of dissolved inorganic carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur forms than organic forms. Data indicate that carbon, nitrogen, and sAuthorsCharles A. CravottaSummary of and factors affecting pesticide concentrations in streams and shallow wells of the lower Susquehanna River basin, Pennsylvania and Maryland, 1993-95
This report presents the detection frequency of 83 analyzed pesticides, describes the concentrations of those pesticides measured in water from streams and shallow wells, and presents conceptual models of the major factors affecting seasonal and areal patterns of pesticide concentrations in water from streams and shallow wells in the Lower Susquehanna River Basin. Seasonal and areal patterns of peAuthorsRobert A. Hainly, Tammy M. Zimmerman, Connie A. Loper, Bruce D. LindseyOccurrence of organochlorine compounds in whole fish tissue from streams of the lower Susquehanna River Basin, Pennsylvania and Maryland, 1992
Tissue samples of whole body white sucker (Catostomus commersoni) were collected at 15 sites and smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) were collected at 5 sites during 1992 in the Lower Susquehanna River Basin to determine the occurrence and distribution of 28 selected organochlorine compounds as part of the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. Only 12 of thAuthorsMichael D. Bilger, Robin A. Brightbill, Harry L. CampbellRelation of algal biomass to characteristics of selected streams in the Lower Susquehanna River basin
Seven small tributary streams with drainage areas ranging from 12.6 to 71.9 square miles, representative of both limestone and freestone settings, in the Lower Susquehanna River Basin were sampled for algae, nutrients, water quality, habitat, land use, hydrology, fish, and invertebrates. Nutrients, site characteristics, and selected characteristics of the invertebrate and fish communities known toAuthorsRobin A. Brightbill, Michael D. BilgerWater quality in the lower Susquehanna River basin, Pennsylvania and Maryland, 1992-95
This report is intended to summarize major findings that emerged between 1992 and 1995 from the water-quality assessment of the lower Susquehanna River basin study unit and to relate these findings to water-quality issues of regional and national concern. The information is primarily intended for those who are involved in water-resource management. Yet, the information contained here may also inteAuthorsBruce D. Lindsey, Kevin J. Breen, Michael D. Bilger, Robin A. BrightbillFish communities and their relation to physical and chemical characteristics of streams from selected environmental settings in the Lower Susquehanna River basin, 1993-95
Studies of fish-community composition were conducted annually in selected reaches (from 100 to 303 meters in length) on seven streams from June 1993 to June 1995 within the Lower Susquehanna River Basin. In 1994, additional reaches were selected on three of the streams, resulting in a total of 28 samples. The study reaches were selected on the basis of type of bedrock and land use/land cover; theAuthorsMichael D. Bilger, Robin A. BrightbillWater-quality assessment of the Lower Susquehanna River Basin, Pennsylvania and Maryland: Design and implementation of water-quality studies, 1992-95
From 1992 through 1995, nearly 1,200 water-quality samples from about 500 sites were collected, processed, and analyzed for the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program in the Lower Susquehanna River Basin in Pennsylvania and Maryland. Sites were selected and samples were collected for 28 integrated water-quality studies designed to provide a comprehensiveAuthorsSteven F. Siwiec, Robert A. Hainly, Bruce D. Lindsey, Michael D. Bilger, Robin A. BrightbillWater-quality assessment of the Lower Susquehanna River Basin, Pennsylvania and Maryland: sources, characteristics, analysis and limitations of nutrient and suspended-sediment data, 1975-90
This report describes analyses of available information on nutrients and suspended sediment collected in the Lower Susquehanna River Basin during water years 1975-90. Most of the analyses were applied to data collected during water years 1980-89. The report describes the spatial and temporal availability of nutrient and suspended-sediment data and presents a preliminary concept of the spatial andAuthorsR. A. Hainly, C. A. LoperLoads and yields of nutrients and suspended sediment in the Susquehanna River basin, 1985-89
No abstract available.AuthorsL.A. Reed, C.S. Takita, G. J. BartonNitrate in ground water and stream base flow in the lower Susquehanna River Basin, Pennsylvania and Maryland
High concentrations of nitrate in both ground and surface water have been identified as a significant water-quality issue in the Lower Susquehanna River Basin. This report uses data collected by the National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program in the basin and compares nitrate concentrations found in ground water and surface water on both a spatial and temporal basis and relates nitrate conceAuthorsBruce D. Lindsey, Connie A. Loper, Robert A. HainlyOccurrence and concentrations of volatile organic compounds in shallow ground water in the Lower Susquehanna River Basin, Pennsylvania and Maryland
This report presents the results of a regional assessment of volatile organic compounds (VOC's) in ground water from six sampling areas within the Lower Susquehanna River Basin. The sampling areas, selected to represent aquifers where ground water is used as a drinking water supply, include four areas underlain by limestone, one area underlain by crystalline bedrock, and one area underlain by inteAuthorsMatthew H. Daly, Bruce D. LindseyBacteriological quality of ground water used for household supply, Lower Susquehanna River basin, Pennsylvania and Maryland
This report describes the bacteriological results of a ground-water study conducted from 1993 to 1995 as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment Program in the Lower Susquehanna River Basin study unit. Water samples collected from 146 household supply wells were analyzed for fecal-indicator organisms including total coliform, fecal coliform, Escherichia coli (E. coliAuthorsTammy M. Bickford, Bruce D. Lindsey, M.R. Beaver - News
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