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: 294
The Chesapeake Bay program modeling system: Overview and recommendations for future development The Chesapeake Bay program modeling system: Overview and recommendations for future development
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest, most productive, and most biologically diverse estuary in the continental United States providing crucial habitat and natural resources for culturally and economically important species. Pressures from human population growth and associated development and agricultural intensification have led to excessive nutrient and sediment inputs entering the Bay...
Authors
Raleigh Hood, Gary W. Shenk, Rachel L Dixon, Sean M. C. Smith, William P. Ball, Jesse Bash, R. Batiuk, Kathy Boomer, Damian C Brady, Carl Cerco, Peter Claggett, Kim de Mutsert, Zachary M. Easton, Andrew J Elmore, Marjorie A. M. Friedrichs, Lora A. Harris, Thomas F. Ihde, Iara Lacher, Li Li, Lewis C. Linker, Andrew Miller, Julia Moriarty, Gregory E. Noe, George Onyullo, Kenneth A Rose, Katherine Skalak, Richard Tian, Tamie L Veith, Lisa A. Wainger, Donald E. Weller, Yinglong J. Zhang
Supporting cost-effective watershed management strategies for Chesapeake Bay using a modeling and optimization framework Supporting cost-effective watershed management strategies for Chesapeake Bay using a modeling and optimization framework
Extensive efforts to adaptively manage nutrient pollution rely on Chesapeake Bay Program's (Phase 6) Watershed Model, called Chesapeake Assessment Scenario Tool (CAST), which helps decision-makers plan and track implementation of Best Management Practices (BMPs). We describe mathematical characteristics of CAST and develop a constrained nonlinear BMP-subset model, software, and...
Authors
Daniel E Kaufman, Gary W. Shenk, Gopal Bhatt, Kevin Asplen, Olivia H. Devereux, Jessica Rigelman, J. Hugh Ellis, Benjamin F Hobbs, Darrell J Bosch, George L Van Houtven, Arthur E McGarity, Lewis C. Linker, William P. Ball
Advancing estuarine ecological forecasts: Seasonal hypoxia in Chesapeake Bay Advancing estuarine ecological forecasts: Seasonal hypoxia in Chesapeake Bay
Ecological forecasts are quantitative tools that can guide ecosystem management. The coemergence of extensive environmental monitoring and quantitative frameworks allows for widespread development and continued improvement of ecological forecasting systems. We use a relatively simple estuarine hypoxia model to demonstrate advances in addressing some of the most critical challenges and
Authors
Donald Scavia, Isabella Bertani, Jeremy M. Testa, Aaron J. Bever, Joel D. Blomquist, Marjorie A. M. Friedrichs, Lewis C. Linker, Bruce Michael, Rebecca Murphy, Gary W. Shenk
Mechanisms controlling climate warming impact on the occurrence of hypoxia in Chesapeake Bay Mechanisms controlling climate warming impact on the occurrence of hypoxia in Chesapeake Bay
AClimate change represents an increasing stressor on estuarine and coastal ecosystems. A series of simulations were run using the Integrated Compartment Water Quality Model to determine the magnitude of various mechanisms controlling the effect of climate warming on dissolved oxygen (DO) in the Chesapeake Bay. The results suggested that the average hypoxic volume in the summer would...
Authors
Richard Tian, Carl Cerco, Gopal Bhatt, Lewis C. Linker, Gary W. Shenk
Nutrient trends and drivers in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Nutrient trends and drivers in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
The Chesapeake Bay Program maintains an extensive nontidal monitoring network, measuring nitrogen and phosphorus (nutrients) at more than 100 locations on rivers and streams in the watershed. Data from these locations are used by United States Geological Survey to assess the ecosystem’s response to nutrient-reduction efforts. This fact sheet summarizes recent trends in nitrogen and...
Authors
Kenneth Hyer, Scott W. Phillips, Scott W. Ator, Douglas L. Moyer, James S. Webber, Rachel Felver, Jennifer L. Keisman, Lee A. McDonnell, Rebecca Murphy, Emily M. Trentacoste, Qian Zhang, William C. Dennison, Sky Swanson, Brianne Walsh, Jane Hawkey, Dylan Taillie
An approach for decomposing river water-quality trends into different flow classes An approach for decomposing river water-quality trends into different flow classes
A number of statistical approaches have been developed to quantify the overall trend in river water quality, but most approaches are not intended for reporting separate trends for different flow conditions. We propose an approach called FN2Q, which is an extension of the flow-normalization (FN) procedure of the well-established WRTDS (“Weighted Regressions on Time, Discharge, and Season”...
Authors
Qian Zhang, James S. Webber, Douglas L. Moyer, Jeffrey G. Chanat
Spatial and temporal patterns in streamflow, water chemistry, and aquatic macroinvertebrates of selected streams in Fairfax County, Virginia, 2007–18 Spatial and temporal patterns in streamflow, water chemistry, and aquatic macroinvertebrates of selected streams in Fairfax County, Virginia, 2007–18
Urbanization substantially alters the landscape in ways that can impact stream hydrology, water chemistry, and the health of aquatic communities. Stormwater best management practices (BMPs) are the primary tools used to mitigate the effects of urban stressors such as increased runoff, decreased baseflow, and increased nutrient and sediment transport. To date, Fairfax County Virginia’s...
Authors
Aaron J. Porter, James S. Webber, Jonathan W. Witt, John D. Jastram
Meeting the challenge: U.S. Geological Survey North Atlantic and Appalachian Region fiscal year 2020 in review Meeting the challenge: U.S. Geological Survey North Atlantic and Appalachian Region fiscal year 2020 in review
The utilization, preservation, and conservation of the Nation’s resources requires well-informed management decisions. The North Atlantic and Appalachian Region (NAAR) of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) supports science-based decision making for Federal, State, and local policymakers to meet the challenges of today and into the future. The science centers in the NAAR have well-deserved
Authors
By
Chesapeake Bay Activities, Florence Bascom Geoscience Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Water Science Center, National Minerals Information Center, New England Water Science Center, New Jersey Water Science Center, New York Water Science Center, Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Water Science Center, Pennsylvania Water Science Center, Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Office of Tribal Relations
Application of a new species-richness based flow ecology framework for assessing flow reduction effects on aquatic communities Application of a new species-richness based flow ecology framework for assessing flow reduction effects on aquatic communities
Water‐resources managers are challenged with maintaining a balance among beneficial uses throughout river networks and need robust means of assessing potential risks to aquatic life resulting from flow alterations. This study generated ecological limit functions from species‐streamflow relations to quantify potential fish richness response to flow alteration and compared results to...
Authors
Jennifer Rapp, Robert W. Burgholzer, Joseph D Kleiner, Durelle R Scott, Elaina M Passero
elfgen: A new instream flow framework for rapid generation and optimization of flow-ecology relations elfgen: A new instream flow framework for rapid generation and optimization of flow-ecology relations
Effective water resource management requires practical, data‐driven determination of instream flow needs. Newly developed, high‐resolution flow models and aquatic species databases provide enormous opportunity, but the volume of data can prove challenging to manage without automated tools. The objective of this study was to develop a framework of analytical methods and best practices to...
Authors
Joseph D Kleiner, Elaina M Passero, Robert W. Burgholzer, Jennifer L. Krstolic, Durelle R Scott
Science to support water-resource management in the upper Roanoke River watershed Science to support water-resource management in the upper Roanoke River watershed
Flooding, excessive sedimentation, and high bacteria counts are among the most challenging water resource issues affecting the Upper Roanoke River watershed. These issues threaten public safety, impair the watershed’s living resources, and threaten drinking water supplies, though mitigation is costly and difficult to manage. Urban development, land disturbance, and changing climatic...
Authors
James S. Webber, John D. Jastram
Chemical constituent concentrations in stream water, streambed sediment, and soils of Fort Belvoir, Virginia—A characterization of ambient conditions in 2019 Chemical constituent concentrations in stream water, streambed sediment, and soils of Fort Belvoir, Virginia—A characterization of ambient conditions in 2019
Introduction The U.S. Army Fort Belvoir (FTBL) installation is on the banks of the Potomac River in Fairfax County, northeastern Virginia. The installation was founded by the U.S. Army during World War I. It has been home to a variety of military organizations over the course of its more than 100-year history and currently houses more than 145 mission partners. The installation consists...
Authors
Karen C. Rice, Douglas B. Chambers