Biology and Ecosystems
Biology and Ecosystems
We develop scientific and statistically reliable methods and protocols to assess the status and trends of biological resources. Healthy ecosystems provide our society with essential ecosystem services, such as crop pollination, water and air purification, harvestable populations of fish and wildlife, soil replenishment, pest control, and nutrient cycling.
Filter Total Items: 21
South River Mercury Total Maximum Daily Load
The objective of the South River Mercury Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) study is to develop a better understanding of methyl mercury cycling in the South River and calculate mercury loading reductions that would protect fish from high mercury concentrations.
Continuous Water-Quality Monitoring for the Roanoke River Flood Reduction Project
This project: (1) initiates a continuous water-quality monitoring study for the Roanoke River in the area upstream and downstream of the RRFRP project area; (2) provides a mechanism for detecting short- and long-term changes in Roanoke River suspended sediment water quality during and after the RRFRP implementation; and (3) assesses trends in suspended sediment water quality in this section of the...
Continuous Water-Quality Monitoring in Indian Creek
The primary objective of the USGS monitoring effort will be to identify whether the construction of the Indian Creek pipeline crossings will adversely impact the sediment water quality in Indian Creek. To accomplish this goal, continuous real-time water-quality monitoring will be the primary focus of the effort.
Roanoke River Study
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Wilmington District and the City of Roanoke, Virginia began construction of a congressionally authorized Roanoke River Flood Reduction Project (RRFRP) in 2005. RRFRP implementation activities include: construction activities, stream bank vegetation changes, and floodplain geometry changes which are occurring in a complicated urban river system. These...
Virginia Bankfull Regional Curves Project
Properly developed regional curves for a specific hydro-physiographic province are an invaluable tool for stream restoration design. Development of regional curves specifically for physiographic provinces of Virginia will enhance the ability to develop successful natural channel designs based on climatic, geologic, and hydrologic characteristics of specific regions of the state.
Virginia Coastal Plain GIS Project
The USGS, with cooperation from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission, is involved in several related and on-going regional projects directed at better characterization of this important resource. The large amount of information needed for these projects requires the development and integration of a Geographic Information System (GIS)...
River Input Monitoring
The objective of this study is to provide concentrations and estimates of loads and trends of suspended solids, nitrogen, phosphorus, and other selected constituents at the James, Rappahannock, Appomattox, Pamunkey, and Mattaponi Rivers.
USGS-Chesapeake Bay Program Watershed Model
The USGS is collaborating with the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) to incorporate the USGS Potomac Watershed and Chesapeake Bay Virginia Watershed models into Phase 5 of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Model (CBWM).
Frederick County Carbonate Aquifer Appraisal
The objective of this study is to better characterize the carbonate aquifer system in the Northern Shenandoah Valley and provide relevant hydrogeologic information that can be used to guide the development and management of this important water resource.