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Utah Water Science Center

Welcome to the USGS Utah Water Science Center webpage. We collaborate with many partners to monitor, assess, conduct targeted research, and deliver information on a wide range of water resources. Explore some of our work through these pages. 

News

Saline Lake Ecosystems IWAA February 2025 Seminar

Saline Lake Ecosystems IWAA February 2025 Seminar

From Lake to Table: $3 Million Investment Helps Track Great Salt Lake's Future

From Lake to Table: $3 Million Investment Helps Track Great Salt Lake's Future

New USGS data-driven tools can aid restoration of mine lands across America

New USGS data-driven tools can aid restoration of mine lands across America

Publications

Application of mercury stable isotopes to examine sources and hydrologic factors impacting mercury bioaccumulation and cycling in invertebrates of a model saline lake Application of mercury stable isotopes to examine sources and hydrologic factors impacting mercury bioaccumulation and cycling in invertebrates of a model saline lake

Invertebrates, such as brine shrimp and brine flies, are key prey items for millions of resident and migratory birds that utilize saline lakes such as Great Salt Lake (GSL). Elevated methylmercury (MeHg) in invertebrate and waterfowl species of GSL has been assumed to be linked to elevated MeHg in GSL’s anoxic Deep Brine Layer (DBL) where aqueous concentrations can exceed 30 ng/L. Here...
Authors
Samuel Francisco Lopez, Sarah E. Janssen, Michael T. Tate, Frank J. Black, Hannah Erin McIlwain, Laura Elizabeth Flucke, Jacob M. Ogorek, William P. Johnson

Estimation of baseflow and flooding characteristics for East Canyon Creek, Summit and Morgan Counties, Utah Estimation of baseflow and flooding characteristics for East Canyon Creek, Summit and Morgan Counties, Utah

An improved understanding of hydrologic responses to changing climatic conditions is needed to better inform water management practices. East Canyon Creek, a perennial, snowmelt-dominated stream in the Wasatch Mountains of northern Utah, is subjected to increasing development and demands on water in the Snyderville Basin and adjacent areas. In this study, streamflow and specific...
Authors
Jonathan Casey Root, Christine A. Rumsey

Using mercury and lead stable isotopes to assess mercury, lead, and trace metal source contributions to Great Salt Lake, Utah, USA Using mercury and lead stable isotopes to assess mercury, lead, and trace metal source contributions to Great Salt Lake, Utah, USA

Great Salt Lake is a critical habitat for migratory birds that is threatened by elevated metal concentrations, including mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb), and is subject to severe hydrologic changes, such as declining lake level. When assessing metal profiles recorded in Great Salt Lake sediment, a large data gap exists regarding the sources of metals within the system, which is complicated by...
Authors
Samuel Francisco Lopez, Sarah E. Janssen, Michael T. Tate, Diego P. Fernandez, Christopher R. Anderson, Grace Jane Armstrong, Thomas Charng-Shuen Wang, William P. Johnson

Science

Navigating PFAS Contamination: Insights from the USGS Potomac River Watershed Study

The Potomac River is a major watershed in the eastern United States that serves as a crucial water supply for millions of people. USGS researchers conducted a comprehensive investigation to identify the contributions of municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plant effluent to the levels of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the Potomac River. This study included measuring PFAS...
Navigating PFAS Contamination: Insights from the USGS Potomac River Watershed Study

Navigating PFAS Contamination: Insights from the USGS Potomac River Watershed Study

The Potomac River is a major watershed in the eastern United States that serves as a crucial water supply for millions of people. USGS researchers conducted a comprehensive investigation to identify the contributions of municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plant effluent to the levels of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the Potomac River. This study included measuring PFAS...
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Leading the Way: Specialized Laboratory Contributions to Environmental Health

The Environmental Health Program features a Unified Core Technology Team comprised of multiple laboratories with specialized expertise that support the overall program research assessing actual and perceived risks from environmental contaminants and pathogens. Individual Core Technology Teams work closely with the Integrated Science Teams to ensure current and emerging techniques are being used to...
Leading the Way: Specialized Laboratory Contributions to Environmental Health

Leading the Way: Specialized Laboratory Contributions to Environmental Health

The Environmental Health Program features a Unified Core Technology Team comprised of multiple laboratories with specialized expertise that support the overall program research assessing actual and perceived risks from environmental contaminants and pathogens. Individual Core Technology Teams work closely with the Integrated Science Teams to ensure current and emerging techniques are being used to...
Learn More

Prey Availability

Migratory wildlife need to balance the benefits of migration and reproduction with the physiological costs. This is particularly challenging in dynamic environments like wetlands, where food levels can vary greatly from year to year. For shorebirds in the Great Basin region, saline or terminal lakes provide essential habitats during their annual life cycle. To understand how changes in hydrology...
Prey Availability

Prey Availability

Migratory wildlife need to balance the benefits of migration and reproduction with the physiological costs. This is particularly challenging in dynamic environments like wetlands, where food levels can vary greatly from year to year. For shorebirds in the Great Basin region, saline or terminal lakes provide essential habitats during their annual life cycle. To understand how changes in hydrology...
Learn More
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