Publications
Impartial scientific information
Interpretive journal articles from Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center scientists.
Interpretive journal articles from Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center scientists.
Publications are crucial for the dissemination of the Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center's scientific data and conclusions. View journal articles authored by our Center's scientists here. The full, searchable catalog of USGS publications can be accessed through the USGS Publications Warehouse.
Filter Total Items: 293
Factors affecting benthic macroinvertebrate health in the City of Roanoke, Virginia, 2020–2023 Factors affecting benthic macroinvertebrate health in the City of Roanoke, Virginia, 2020–2023
Major waterways in the City of Roanoke (City) have failed to meet Virginia’s aquatic life designated use since 1996. Segments of the upper Roanoke River lack healthy benthic macroinvertebrate communities which prompted a total maximum daily load (TMDL) study by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VDEQ) to identify the most probable stressor(s) causing the impairment. Excess...
Authors
Samuel Adam Miller, Marcus F Aguilar, Logan Helsley, Sally Entrekin
Watershed Continuum Monitoring Approach: Combining multiple water quality patterns along stream and river flowpaths to track sources, pathways, and processing of pollutants Watershed Continuum Monitoring Approach: Combining multiple water quality patterns along stream and river flowpaths to track sources, pathways, and processing of pollutants
There is a growing need to improve and expand water quality monitoring approaches to more accurately track the sources, fate, and transport of multiple chemicals and pollutants holistically and quantify the effects of best management practices (BMPs) at the watershed scale. An overarching question raised by scientists, environmental managers, and the general public is: how far can water...
Authors
Sujay Kaushal, Ashley Mon, Stanley Grant, Paul M. Mayer, Aaron J. Porter, Andrew J. Sekellick, Jason Hamilton Chase, Shantanu Bhide, John D. Jastram, Tammy Newcomer-Johnson, Sydney A. Shelton, Alexis M. Yaculak, Joseph T. Malin, Carly Marcella Maas, Nicholas Salanitri, Daniel J. Silberstein, Steven P. Hohman, Ashley B. Dann, Weston M Slaughter, Megan A. Rippy, Ahmed Monofy, Ruth R. Shatkay, Jenna E. Reimer, Madeleine Seppi, Randi Noel, Julianna Mussa, Bennett Kellmayer, Gwendolyn Sivirichi, Melissa Grese, Walter L.M. Boger, Jeffrey G. Chanat, Shuiwang Duan, Kenneth T. Belt
Computation of regional groundwater budgets for the Virginia Coastal Plain aquifer system Computation of regional groundwater budgets for the Virginia Coastal Plain aquifer system
Computation of detailed groundwater flow budgets for subdivisions of the Virginia Coastal Plain aquifer system has enabled quantification and more thorough understanding of groundwater flow within this important water resource. A zone budget analysis based on previously published groundwater models of the Virginia Coastal Plain and Virginia Eastern Shore indicates that groundwater...
Authors
Jason P. Pope, Alison D. Gordon, Ryan S. Frederiks
Assessment of natural gas pipeline construction on stream temperature and turbidity in southwestern Virginia, 2017–25 Assessment of natural gas pipeline construction on stream temperature and turbidity in southwestern Virginia, 2017–25
Despite the extensive natural gas pipeline network in the United States that intersects streams and other sensitive habitats, few case studies use a comparative upstream-to-downstream approach to evaluate potential short- and long-term effects of pipeline stream crossings from pre-construction through post-restoration. In 2017, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Virginia
Authors
Brendan M. Foster, Carly Marcella Maas, Alejandra Logan Flota
Estimation of magnitude and frequency of floods for rural, unregulated streams in and near Virginia and West Virginia Estimation of magnitude and frequency of floods for rural, unregulated streams in and near Virginia and West Virginia
Magnitude and frequency of annual peak streamflows were computed for 813 streamgages on rural, unregulated streams with annual peak streamflow data from 1791 through the 2021 water years in and near Virginia and West Virginia. The study was done in cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the West Virginia Department of Transportation, and the Virginia Department of...
Authors
Terence Messinger, James M. Duda, Daniel M. Wagner, Padraic S. O’Shea, James D. Scott, Chintamani Kandel
Computation of regional groundwater budgets for the Virginia Coastal Plain aquifer system Computation of regional groundwater budgets for the Virginia Coastal Plain aquifer system
Computation of detailed groundwater flow budgets for subdivisions of Virginia’s Coastal Plain aquifer system has enabled quantification and more thorough understanding of groundwater flow within this important water resource. A zone budget analysis conducted on previously published groundwater models of the Virginia Coastal Plain and Virginia Eastern Shore shows that groundwater...
Authors
Jason P. Pope, Alison D. Gordon, Ryan S. Frederiks
A 10-year continuous daily simulation of chloride flux from a suburban watershed in Fairfax County, Virginia, USA A 10-year continuous daily simulation of chloride flux from a suburban watershed in Fairfax County, Virginia, USA
Increasing levels of chloride in surface water are associated with detrimental effects on water quality, aquatic ecosystems, infrastructure, and human health. Numerous mass-balance studies have inferred watershed transport processes by interpreting chloride inputs and outputs, but few represent internal dynamics explicitly. We constructed a coupled water/chloride mass balance model to...
Authors
Jeffrey G. Chanat, Christopher Allan Custer
Environmental tradeoffs of urban stream restoration in Fairfax County, Virginia Environmental tradeoffs of urban stream restoration in Fairfax County, Virginia
Regulatory mandates to improve water quality and stream health have driven substantial investment in stream restoration. Most projects aim to improve channel-floodplain connectivity, reduce sediment erosion, and enhance habitat for aquatic organisms, yet few include adequate pre- and post-restoration monitoring to assess outcomes. Since 2007, Fairfax County, Virginia, and the U.S...
Authors
Aaron J. Porter, Christopher M. Ruck, Spencer John Tassone
Imidacloprid in United States rivers, 2013–2022: Persistent presence and emerging chronic hazard Imidacloprid in United States rivers, 2013–2022: Persistent presence and emerging chronic hazard
Imidacloprid, a neonicotinoid insecticide, is used for agricultural and nonagricultural purposes and is toxic to nontarget organisms at low concentrations in aquatic ecosystems. A total of 12,547 water samples were collected from 2013 to 2022 from 77 rivers across the United States (U.S.) and were analyzed to evaluate detections and temporal trends in imidacloprid concentrations...
Authors
Samuel Adam Miller, Travis S. Schmidt, Larry B. Barber, Michelle L. Hladik, Dana W. Kolpin, Megan E. Shoda, Sarah M. Stackpoole
Reconnaissance of potential alternate water supply sources for the City of Gary, West Virginia Reconnaissance of potential alternate water supply sources for the City of Gary, West Virginia
Seven potential sources of water, consisting of free-flowing discharge from abandoned coal mines at six locations and one abandoned flooded underground coal mine air shaft, were sampled for chemical analysis to assess the quality of the groundwater emanating from the seven mine sources. The six free-flowing mine discharge sources were also assessed for discharge by current-meter...
Authors
Mark D. Kozar, Samuel H. Austin
Using monitoring and partnerships to provide management-relevant information about Chesapeake Bay rivers Using monitoring and partnerships to provide management-relevant information about Chesapeake Bay rivers
The lands and waters of the Chesapeake Bay watershed provide more than $100 billion in economic benefits- an amount that is expected to increase by achieving the region’s clean-water goals. Achieving those goals requires accurate and timely information about the health of the watershed’s rivers and streams. The Chesapeake Bay nontidal monitoring network (NTN), a partnership of local...
Authors
James S. Webber, Kaylyn S. Gootman, Kenneth Hyer, Peter J. Tango, Douglas L. Moyer
Using satellite imagery and soil data to understand occurrences and migration of soil conditions harmful to archaeological sites on Jamestown Island, Virginia Using satellite imagery and soil data to understand occurrences and migration of soil conditions harmful to archaeological sites on Jamestown Island, Virginia
Many know Jamestown Island, Virginia, hereafter referred to as “the Island,” located near the mouth of the James River into the Chesapeake Bay, as the home of the first permanent English settlement in North America. However, the Island is home to 15,000 years’ worth of cultural artifacts and archaeological sites. In addition to its rich history, the Island is home to a variety of native...
Authors
Samuel H. Caldwell