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: 268
Variability of hydrological droughts in the conterminous United States, 1951 through 2014
Spatial and temporal variability in the frequency, duration, and severity of hydrological droughts across the conterminous United States (CONUS) was examined using monthly mean streamflow measured at 872 sites from 1951 through 2014. Hydrological drought is identified as starting when streamflow falls below the 20th percentile streamflow value for 3 consecutive months and ending when streamflow re
Authors
Samuel H. Austin, David M. Wolock, David L. Nelms
Characteristics of peak streamflows and extent of inundation in areas of West Virginia and southwestern Virginia affected by flooding, June 2016
Heavy rainfall occurred across central and southern WestVirginia in June 2016 as a result of repeated rounds of torrentialthunderstorms. The storms caused major flooding and flashflooding in central and southern West Virginia with Kanawha,Fayette, Nicholas, and Greenbrier Counties among the hardesthit. Over the duration of the storms, from 8 to 9.37 inches ofrain was reported in areas in Greenbrie
Authors
Samuel H. Austin, Kara M. Watson, R. Russell Lotspeich, Stephen J. Cauller, Jeremy S. White, Shaun Wicklein
Virginia flow-ecology modeling results—An initial assessment of flow reduction effects on aquatic biota
BackgroundThe U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), reviewed a previously compiled set of linear regression models to assess their utility in defining the response of the aquatic biological community to streamflow depletion.As part of the 2012 Virginia Healthy Watersheds Initiative (HWI) study conducted by Tetra Tech, Inc., for t
Authors
Jennifer L. Rapp, Pamela A. Reilly
Groundwater-quality data associated with abandoned underground coal mine aquifers in West Virginia, 1973-2016: Compilation of existing data from multiple sources
This report describes a compilation of existing water-quality data associated with groundwater resources originating from abandoned underground coal mines in West Virginia. Data were compiled from multiple sources for the purpose of understanding the suitability of groundwater from abandoned underground coal mines for public supply, industrial, agricultural, and other uses. This compilation includ
Authors
Mitchell A. McAdoo, Mark D. Kozar
Riverine discharges to Chesapeake Bay: Analysis of long-term (1927–2014) records and implications for future flows in the Chesapeake Bay basin
The Chesapeake Bay (CB) basin is under a total maximum daily load (TMDL) mandate to reduce nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment loads to the bay. Identifying shifts in the hydro-climatic regime may help explain observed trends in water quality. To identify potential shifts, hydrologic data (1927–2014) for 27 watersheds in the CB basin were analyzed to determine the relationships among long-term prec
Authors
Karen C. Rice, Doug L. Moyer, Aaron L. Mills
Modeling summer month hydrological drought probabilities in the United States using antecedent flow conditions
Climate change raises concern that risks of hydrological drought may be increasing. We estimate hydrological drought probabilities for rivers and streams in the United States (U.S.) using maximum likelihood logistic regression (MLLR). Streamflow data from winter months are used to estimate the chance of hydrological drought during summer months. Daily streamflow data collected from 9,144 stream ga
Authors
Samuel H. Austin, David L. Nelms
U.S. Geological Survey Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) serves the Nation by providing reliable scientific information to describe and understand the Earth; minimize loss of life and property from natural disasters; manage water, biological, energy, and mineral resources; and enhance and protect our quality of life. In support of this mission, the USGS Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center works in cooperatio
Authors
John D. Jastram
Hydrogeologic framework and hydrologic conditions of the Piney Point aquifer in Virginia
The Piney Point aquifer in Virginia is newly described and delineated as being composed of six geologic units, in a study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VA DEQ). The eastward-dipping geologic units include, in stratigraphically ascending order, thesand of the Nanjemoy Formation Woodstock Member,interbedded limestone and
Authors
E. Randolph McFarland
U.S. Geological Survey Science—Improving the value of the Chesapeake Bay watershed
IntroductionCongress directed the Federal Government to work with States to restore the Nation’s largest estuary.Chesapeake Bay restoration provides important economic and ecological benefits:18 million people live and work in the Bay watershed and enjoy its benefits.3,600 types of fish, wildlife, and plants underpin the economic value of the Bay ecosystem.Poor water quality and habitat loss threa
Authors
Scott W. Phillips, Kenneth Hyer, Elizabeth Goldbaum
The role of uplift and erosion in the persistence of saline groundwater in the shallow subsurface
In many regions of the world, the shallow (<300 m) subsurface is replenished with meteoric recharge within a few centuries or millennia, but in some regions saline groundwater persists despite abundant rainfall. Analyses of the flushing rate of shallow groundwater usually consider the permeability and recharge rate and a static landscape. The influence of landscape evolution can become important o
Authors
Richard M. Yager, Kurt J. McCoy, Clifford I. Voss, Ward E. Sanford, Richard B. Winston
Use of modflow drain package for simulating inter-basin transfer in abandoned coal mines
Simulation of groundwater flow in abandoned mines is difficult, especially where flux to and from mines is unknown or poorly quantified, and inter-basin transfer of groundwater occurs. A 3-year study was conducted in the Elkhorn area, West Virginia to better understand groundwater-flow processes and inter-basin transfer in above drainage abandoned coal mines. The study area was specifically select
Authors
Mark D. Kozar, Kurt J. McCoy
Hydrogeology, groundwater flow, and groundwater quality of an abandoned underground coal-mine aquifer, Elkhorn Area, West Virginia
The Pocahontas No. 3 coal seam in southern West Virginia has been extensively mined by underground methods since the 1880’s. An extensive network of abandoned mine entries in the Pocahontas No. 3 has since filled with good-quality water, which is pumped from wells or springs discharging from mine portals (adits), and used as a source of water for public supplies. This report presents results of a
Authors
Mark D. Kozar, Kurt J. McCoy, James Q. Britton, B.M. Blake