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Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center

Long Term Resource Monitoring

Ecological Status and Trends of the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers

Open-File Report

Scientific Investigations Report

Breeding Birds of the Upper Mississippi River Floodplain Forest: One Community in a Changing Forest, 1994 to 1997

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Bat Research

White-nose syndrome (WNS) caused by the fungal pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd)

UMESC Science

Conservation of Native Freshwater Mussels

Freshwater mussels are the most imperiled group of animals in North America, with 66% of species at risk.

UMESC Science

UMRR Long Term Resource Monitoring

The LTRM is the Nation's largest river monitoring program with six remote state-operated field stations.

Monitoring the river

Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center

Our Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center's priority is to continue the important work of the Department of the Interior and the USGS, while also maintaining the health and safety of our employees and community. The Center is open with operations adjusted based on guidance from the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force and federal policies and informed by local community transmission level.

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News

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Friday's Findings - September 15 2023

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I Am A...Science Careers Book For Kids

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Tap water study detects PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ across the US

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Publications

Design and utility of automatous, floating bait delivery platform for applying fish management baits

Using manufactured baits to attract fish to passive gear is common practice in fisheries management. The most common method is using hoop nets baited with soybean cakes or waste cheese to increase captures of multiple catfish species; however, these techniques are limited to how often bait is added, the type of bait, gear compatibility, and oversaturation of bait during soak time. The U.S. Geologi
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James J. Wamboldt
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center

Importance of dense aquatic vegetation in seasonal phosphate and particle transport in an agricultural headwater stream

Agricultural headwater streams and ditches commonly host dense stands of aquatic vegetation that grow and decay over seasons and exert physical and biological controls on the transport of nutrients from cropland to larger rivers. This study examined changes in the transport of phosphorus (P) in an agricultural drainage ditch in the Maumee River Basin (Ohio, USA) by conducting constant rate injecti
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Hannah R. Field, Audrey H. Sawyer, Susan A. Welch, Ryan K. Benefiel, Devan M. Mathie, James M. Hood, Ethan D. Pawlowski, Diana L. Karwan, Rebecca Kreiling, Zackary I. Johnson, Brittany R. Hanrahan, Kevin W. King
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center

Restoration of Gavia immer (common loon) in Minnesota—2022 annual report

The explosion of the Deepwater Horizon mobile drilling platform on April 20, 2010, caused a massive oil spill and injury to natural resources in the Gulf of Mexico. Gavia immer (common loon) were negatively affected from the spill. The Open Ocean Trustee Implementation Group funded the project “Restoration of Common Loons in Minnesota” to restore common loons lost to the spill. Here, we report on
Authors
William S. Beatty, Luke J. Fara, Steven C. Houdek, Robert Rabasco, Spencer Rettler, Elizabeth Rasmussen, Kevin P. Kenow, Brian R. Gray, Steven Yang, Kelly Amoth
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center
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Science

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Northern Pintail Duck swimming

Wetland Loss: Modeling Consequences for Waterfowl Production, Recreation Use, and Economic Opportunities

Amendments to the Clean Water Act in 1972 established federal jurisdiction over “navigable waters,” defined in the Act as the “waters of the United States.” A revised definition of the Waters of the U.S. rule took effect on 20 March 2023. However, various legal challenges precluded implementation of the new definition. On 25 May 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court, in the case of Sackett et ux. v...
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Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center
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Wetland Loss: Modeling Consequences for Waterfowl Production, Recreation Use, and Economic Opportunities

Amendments to the Clean Water Act in 1972 established federal jurisdiction over “navigable waters,” defined in the Act as the “waters of the United States.” A revised definition of the Waters of the U.S. rule took effect on 20 March 2023. However, various legal challenges precluded implementation of the new definition. On 25 May 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court, in the case of Sackett et ux. v...
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Interactive Elevation and Water Flow Table

Modeling Overview at UMESC

Models seek to describe the natural world around us and how we interact with the world. For example, physical models might help Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center (UMESC) visitors understand landscapes, such as the Mississippi River or topology and water flow.
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Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center
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Modeling Overview at UMESC

Models seek to describe the natural world around us and how we interact with the world. For example, physical models might help Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center (UMESC) visitors understand landscapes, such as the Mississippi River or topology and water flow.
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Depiction of contiguous forest area development and metric calculation examples related to core forest models

Attributes of Upper Mississippi River System contiguous forest areas

Floodplain forests are important features of river systems as they create habitat for a variety of wildlife species as well as influence water quality by sequestering nutrients. The ecological conditions found within forested areas can vary greatly from place to place, contributing to spatial variability in species diversity, animal use of the floodplain, and other ecological functions. For this...
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Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center
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Attributes of Upper Mississippi River System contiguous forest areas

Floodplain forests are important features of river systems as they create habitat for a variety of wildlife species as well as influence water quality by sequestering nutrients. The ecological conditions found within forested areas can vary greatly from place to place, contributing to spatial variability in species diversity, animal use of the floodplain, and other ecological functions. For this...
Learn More
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