Upper Midwest Water Science Center Products Published Summer 2024
By Upper Midwest Water Science Center
August 30, 2024
Below are all products released by the Upper Midwest Water Science Center from June 1 through August 31, 2024.
Related Content
Multilayer perceptron classifier and shoreline extraction routine for Minnesota Point PlanetScope satellite imagery
A site-specific multilayer perceptron model was developed to classify PlanetScope satellite imagery of Minnesota Point, and the classifier was paired with a shoreline delineation routine to extract the position of the land-water interface. Satellite-dervived shorelines were used to measure changes in beach width associated with beach nourishment projects and changing water levels. The model is bas
Data for improved understanding of the susceptibility of Lake Superior to threats from groundwater contamination
This data release contains a data compilation and analysis of the hydrogeology in the U.S. portion of the Lake Superior watershed, for the purpose of providing background data for future study and modeling of groundwater and contaminant movement in the watershed. The data support an analysis of groundwater contributions to the water budget of Lake Superior and provide hydrogeologic context for fut
Plain pocketbook (Lampsilis cardium) glochidia counts and transformation rates collected during laboratory exposures to agriculture and urban contaminant mixtures and measured contaminant concentrations, 2018
This data release includes datasets provided by the Woolnough Laboratory at Central Michigan University. These data were collected as a part of a laboratory exposure experiment, conducted in 2018, examining the effects of agricultural and urban contaminant mixtures on two life stages (larval and juvenile) of the freshwater mussel, plain pocketbook (Lampsilis cardium), using largemouth bass (Microp
MODFLOW 6 models for simulating groundwater flow in the Mississippi Embayment with a focus on the Mississippi Delta
This model archive contains the model files for the MERAS 3 and Mississippi Delta groundwater flow models documented in the U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2023-5100. The MERAS 3 model provides a simplified representation of groundwater flow in the Mississippi Embayment Regional Aquifer Study (MERAS) area for the period of 1900 through 2018, with the primary goal of providi
Mercury Methylation Assay Along a Salinity Gradient in Coastal Peat Soils in the Florida Everglades
This data was collected as part of a laboratory study examining the effects of sea level rise on mercury (Hg) methylation and demethylation rates in peat cores collected from the Florida Everglades. Peat cores were collected from a freshwater region of the Everglades, Water Conservation Area 3, in 2022 and taken to the University of California-Davis for methylation and demethylation studies. Prior
Mercury Stable Isotope Assessment of Dragonflies and Fish Tissues across United States National Parks
This dataset details mercury (Hg) stable isotope values in dragonflies and fish tissues collected across U.S. National Parks. Dragonfly samples were collected as part of the Dragonfly Mercury Project (https://geonarrative.usgs.gov/dmp/), a citizen science project focused on using dragonfly larvae as biosentinels for Hg bioaccumulation. Fish were collected as part of separate park-wide monitoring i
Groundwater and soil gas data, methods, and quality assurance information for samples collected to determine ancient carbon distributions at Red Hill, Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i 2022-2023
This U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Data Release describes field methods, lab methods, and data for groundwater and soil gas samples collected in the vicinity of the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i, from September 2022 through April 2023. The Red Hill facility consists of 20 underground fuel storage tanks that can each hold approximately 12.5 million gallons of fuel and are conn
Nutrient and sediment concentrations, loads, yields, and rainfall characteristics collected at a USGS subsurface-tile edge-of-field agricultural monitoring site in South Central Michigan within the Maumee River Basin, 2019-2023
This data release contains nutrient and sediment concentrations, loads, and yields from a USGS subsurface-tile edge-of-field (EOF) agricultural monitoring site. Sampling and flow monitoring were performed at the outlet of a subsurface-tile that drains 14.7 acres of cultivated cropland. The site is located in South Central Michigan and discharges into a headwater stream of the Maumee watershed. Thr
Model Archive for an Impulse Response Emulator of Groundwater Contaminant Transport Models
This archive contains the code and other files to demonstrate the creation and application of an impulse-response emulator for process-based groundwater flow and transport models in MODFLOW/MT3D. This includes creating a synthetic modeling environment in MODFLOW/MT3D, using PEST++ to derive an impulse-response (A) matrix (as described in White et al., 2020), using this A matrix to create a groundw
Social vulnerability and water insecurity in the western US: A systematic review of framings, indicators, and uncertainty
Water insecurity poses a complex challenge for the western United States. Large populations are exposed and susceptible to physical and social factors that can leave them with precarious access to sufficient water supplies. Consideration of social issues by water managers can help ensure equitable supply. However, how social factors affect water insecurity conditions remains unclear. This paper re
Authors
Oronde Oliver Drakes, Diana Restrepo-Osorio, Kathryn Powlen, Megan Hines
Simulated sea level rise in coastal peat oils stimulates mercury methylation
Coastal wetlands are vulnerable to sea level rise with unknown consequences for mercury (Hg) cycling, particularly the potential for exacerbating neurotoxic methylmercury (MeHg) production and bioaccumulation in food webs. Here, the effect of sea level rise on MeHg formation in the Florida Everglades was evaluated by incubating peat cores from a freshwater wetland for 0–20 days in the laboratory a
Authors
Bryce A. Cook, Benjamin D. Peterson, Jacob M. Ogorek, Sarah E. Janssen, Brett A. Poulin
Wildfires influence mercury transport, methylation, and bioaccumulation in headwater streams of the Pacific Northwest
The increasing frequency and severity of wildfires are among the most visible impacts of climate change. However, the effects of wildfires on mercury (Hg) transformations and bioaccumulation in stream ecosystems are poorly understood. We sampled soils, water, sediment, in-stream leaf litter, periphyton, and aquatic invertebrates in 36 burned (one-year post fire) and 21 reference headwater streams
Authors
Austin K. Baldwin, James Willacker, Branden L. Johnson, Sarah E. Janssen, Collin A. Eagles-Smith
A conceptual framework to assess post-wildfire water quality: State of the science and knowledge gaps
Wildfire substantially alters aquatic ecosystems by inducing moderate to catastrophic physical and chemical changes. However, the relations of environmental and watershed variables that drive those effects are complex. We present a Driver-Factor-Stressor-Effect (DFSE) conceptual framework to assess the current state of the science related to post-wildfire water-quality. We reviewed 64 peer-reviewe
Authors
Sarah M. Elliott, Michelle I. Hornberger, Donald O. Rosenberry, Rebecca Frus, Richard M. Webb
Connecting tributary mercury loads to nearshore and offshore sediments in Lake Superior
Lake Superior has a vast and largely undeveloped watershed in comparison to the other Great Lakes, which makes it challenging to study mercury (Hg) sources and cycling. To examine Hg inputs to Lake Superior, we conducted an expansive binational assessment in 40 watersheds from a diverse range of landcover types. We further paired tributary Hg data to sediment source portfolios in the nearshore and
Authors
Sarah E. Janssen, Michael T. Tate, Eric D. Dantoin, Christopher T. Filstrup, Euan D Reavie, Robert M Stewart, Chris Robinson, Craig J Allan, Dale M. Robertson, David P. Krabbenhoft
Quantitative microbial risk assessment with microbial source tracking for mixed fecal sources contaminating recreational river waters, Iowa, USA
Fecal contamination of surface water can cause acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI) among recreators. AGI risk varies among human, livestock, and wildlife fecal sources, but the prevalence of individual sources is unknown for most recreational sites. We estimated AGI risk for six sites near Des Moines, Iowa, using quantitative microbial risk assessment combined with microbial source-tracking (MST)
Authors
Tucker R. Burch, Joel P. Stokdyk, Aaron Firnstahl, Sarah Opelt, Rachel Cook, Joe Heffron, Amanda Brown, Claire E. Hruby, Mark A. Borchardt
Distribution of ancient carbon in groundwater and soil gas from degradation of petroleum near the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i
The groundwater below the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility (the facility) in Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi, contains fuel compounds from past spills. This study used carbon-14 analyses to distinguish fuel-derived carbon from background carbon, along with other biodegradation indicators, to address two goals: (1) determine the extent and migration direction of groundwater affected by residual fuel below the fa
Authors
Jared J. Trost, Barbara A. Bekins, Jeanne B. Jaeschke, Geoffrey N. Delin, Daniel A Sinclair, James K Stack, Rylen K. Nakama, Uli'i M. Miyajima, Lhiberty D. Pagaduan, Isabelle M. Cozzarelli
Potential hazards of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Great Lakes tributaries using water column and porewater passive samplers and sediment wquilibrium partitioning
The potential for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-related effects in benthic organisms is commonly estimated from organic carbon-normalized sediment concentrations based on equilibrium partitioning (EqP). Although this approach is useful for screening purposes, it may overestimate PAH bioavailability by orders of magnitude in some sediments, leading to inflated exposure estimates and potenti
Authors
Austin K. Baldwin, Steven R. Corsi, David Alvarez, David L. Villeneuve, Gerald T. Ankley, Brett R. Blackwell, Marc A. Mills, Peter L. Lenaker, Michelle A. Nott
Balancing natural resource use and extraction of uranium and other elements in the Grand Canyon region
The Grand Canyon region is an important natural, cultural, and archeological resource known worldwide. The region contains uranium resources that could be used to generate electricity. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, is conducting studies to answer questions about the env
Authors
Katherine Walton-Day, Benjamin J. Siebers, Jo Ellen Hinck, Kate M. Campbell, Marie Noële Croteau
Related Content
Multilayer perceptron classifier and shoreline extraction routine for Minnesota Point PlanetScope satellite imagery
A site-specific multilayer perceptron model was developed to classify PlanetScope satellite imagery of Minnesota Point, and the classifier was paired with a shoreline delineation routine to extract the position of the land-water interface. Satellite-dervived shorelines were used to measure changes in beach width associated with beach nourishment projects and changing water levels. The model is bas
Data for improved understanding of the susceptibility of Lake Superior to threats from groundwater contamination
This data release contains a data compilation and analysis of the hydrogeology in the U.S. portion of the Lake Superior watershed, for the purpose of providing background data for future study and modeling of groundwater and contaminant movement in the watershed. The data support an analysis of groundwater contributions to the water budget of Lake Superior and provide hydrogeologic context for fut
Plain pocketbook (Lampsilis cardium) glochidia counts and transformation rates collected during laboratory exposures to agriculture and urban contaminant mixtures and measured contaminant concentrations, 2018
This data release includes datasets provided by the Woolnough Laboratory at Central Michigan University. These data were collected as a part of a laboratory exposure experiment, conducted in 2018, examining the effects of agricultural and urban contaminant mixtures on two life stages (larval and juvenile) of the freshwater mussel, plain pocketbook (Lampsilis cardium), using largemouth bass (Microp
MODFLOW 6 models for simulating groundwater flow in the Mississippi Embayment with a focus on the Mississippi Delta
This model archive contains the model files for the MERAS 3 and Mississippi Delta groundwater flow models documented in the U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2023-5100. The MERAS 3 model provides a simplified representation of groundwater flow in the Mississippi Embayment Regional Aquifer Study (MERAS) area for the period of 1900 through 2018, with the primary goal of providi
Mercury Methylation Assay Along a Salinity Gradient in Coastal Peat Soils in the Florida Everglades
This data was collected as part of a laboratory study examining the effects of sea level rise on mercury (Hg) methylation and demethylation rates in peat cores collected from the Florida Everglades. Peat cores were collected from a freshwater region of the Everglades, Water Conservation Area 3, in 2022 and taken to the University of California-Davis for methylation and demethylation studies. Prior
Mercury Stable Isotope Assessment of Dragonflies and Fish Tissues across United States National Parks
This dataset details mercury (Hg) stable isotope values in dragonflies and fish tissues collected across U.S. National Parks. Dragonfly samples were collected as part of the Dragonfly Mercury Project (https://geonarrative.usgs.gov/dmp/), a citizen science project focused on using dragonfly larvae as biosentinels for Hg bioaccumulation. Fish were collected as part of separate park-wide monitoring i
Groundwater and soil gas data, methods, and quality assurance information for samples collected to determine ancient carbon distributions at Red Hill, Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i 2022-2023
This U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Data Release describes field methods, lab methods, and data for groundwater and soil gas samples collected in the vicinity of the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i, from September 2022 through April 2023. The Red Hill facility consists of 20 underground fuel storage tanks that can each hold approximately 12.5 million gallons of fuel and are conn
Nutrient and sediment concentrations, loads, yields, and rainfall characteristics collected at a USGS subsurface-tile edge-of-field agricultural monitoring site in South Central Michigan within the Maumee River Basin, 2019-2023
This data release contains nutrient and sediment concentrations, loads, and yields from a USGS subsurface-tile edge-of-field (EOF) agricultural monitoring site. Sampling and flow monitoring were performed at the outlet of a subsurface-tile that drains 14.7 acres of cultivated cropland. The site is located in South Central Michigan and discharges into a headwater stream of the Maumee watershed. Thr
Model Archive for an Impulse Response Emulator of Groundwater Contaminant Transport Models
This archive contains the code and other files to demonstrate the creation and application of an impulse-response emulator for process-based groundwater flow and transport models in MODFLOW/MT3D. This includes creating a synthetic modeling environment in MODFLOW/MT3D, using PEST++ to derive an impulse-response (A) matrix (as described in White et al., 2020), using this A matrix to create a groundw
Social vulnerability and water insecurity in the western US: A systematic review of framings, indicators, and uncertainty
Water insecurity poses a complex challenge for the western United States. Large populations are exposed and susceptible to physical and social factors that can leave them with precarious access to sufficient water supplies. Consideration of social issues by water managers can help ensure equitable supply. However, how social factors affect water insecurity conditions remains unclear. This paper re
Authors
Oronde Oliver Drakes, Diana Restrepo-Osorio, Kathryn Powlen, Megan Hines
Simulated sea level rise in coastal peat oils stimulates mercury methylation
Coastal wetlands are vulnerable to sea level rise with unknown consequences for mercury (Hg) cycling, particularly the potential for exacerbating neurotoxic methylmercury (MeHg) production and bioaccumulation in food webs. Here, the effect of sea level rise on MeHg formation in the Florida Everglades was evaluated by incubating peat cores from a freshwater wetland for 0–20 days in the laboratory a
Authors
Bryce A. Cook, Benjamin D. Peterson, Jacob M. Ogorek, Sarah E. Janssen, Brett A. Poulin
Wildfires influence mercury transport, methylation, and bioaccumulation in headwater streams of the Pacific Northwest
The increasing frequency and severity of wildfires are among the most visible impacts of climate change. However, the effects of wildfires on mercury (Hg) transformations and bioaccumulation in stream ecosystems are poorly understood. We sampled soils, water, sediment, in-stream leaf litter, periphyton, and aquatic invertebrates in 36 burned (one-year post fire) and 21 reference headwater streams
Authors
Austin K. Baldwin, James Willacker, Branden L. Johnson, Sarah E. Janssen, Collin A. Eagles-Smith
A conceptual framework to assess post-wildfire water quality: State of the science and knowledge gaps
Wildfire substantially alters aquatic ecosystems by inducing moderate to catastrophic physical and chemical changes. However, the relations of environmental and watershed variables that drive those effects are complex. We present a Driver-Factor-Stressor-Effect (DFSE) conceptual framework to assess the current state of the science related to post-wildfire water-quality. We reviewed 64 peer-reviewe
Authors
Sarah M. Elliott, Michelle I. Hornberger, Donald O. Rosenberry, Rebecca Frus, Richard M. Webb
Connecting tributary mercury loads to nearshore and offshore sediments in Lake Superior
Lake Superior has a vast and largely undeveloped watershed in comparison to the other Great Lakes, which makes it challenging to study mercury (Hg) sources and cycling. To examine Hg inputs to Lake Superior, we conducted an expansive binational assessment in 40 watersheds from a diverse range of landcover types. We further paired tributary Hg data to sediment source portfolios in the nearshore and
Authors
Sarah E. Janssen, Michael T. Tate, Eric D. Dantoin, Christopher T. Filstrup, Euan D Reavie, Robert M Stewart, Chris Robinson, Craig J Allan, Dale M. Robertson, David P. Krabbenhoft
Quantitative microbial risk assessment with microbial source tracking for mixed fecal sources contaminating recreational river waters, Iowa, USA
Fecal contamination of surface water can cause acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI) among recreators. AGI risk varies among human, livestock, and wildlife fecal sources, but the prevalence of individual sources is unknown for most recreational sites. We estimated AGI risk for six sites near Des Moines, Iowa, using quantitative microbial risk assessment combined with microbial source-tracking (MST)
Authors
Tucker R. Burch, Joel P. Stokdyk, Aaron Firnstahl, Sarah Opelt, Rachel Cook, Joe Heffron, Amanda Brown, Claire E. Hruby, Mark A. Borchardt
Distribution of ancient carbon in groundwater and soil gas from degradation of petroleum near the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i
The groundwater below the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility (the facility) in Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi, contains fuel compounds from past spills. This study used carbon-14 analyses to distinguish fuel-derived carbon from background carbon, along with other biodegradation indicators, to address two goals: (1) determine the extent and migration direction of groundwater affected by residual fuel below the fa
Authors
Jared J. Trost, Barbara A. Bekins, Jeanne B. Jaeschke, Geoffrey N. Delin, Daniel A Sinclair, James K Stack, Rylen K. Nakama, Uli'i M. Miyajima, Lhiberty D. Pagaduan, Isabelle M. Cozzarelli
Potential hazards of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Great Lakes tributaries using water column and porewater passive samplers and sediment wquilibrium partitioning
The potential for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-related effects in benthic organisms is commonly estimated from organic carbon-normalized sediment concentrations based on equilibrium partitioning (EqP). Although this approach is useful for screening purposes, it may overestimate PAH bioavailability by orders of magnitude in some sediments, leading to inflated exposure estimates and potenti
Authors
Austin K. Baldwin, Steven R. Corsi, David Alvarez, David L. Villeneuve, Gerald T. Ankley, Brett R. Blackwell, Marc A. Mills, Peter L. Lenaker, Michelle A. Nott
Balancing natural resource use and extraction of uranium and other elements in the Grand Canyon region
The Grand Canyon region is an important natural, cultural, and archeological resource known worldwide. The region contains uranium resources that could be used to generate electricity. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, is conducting studies to answer questions about the env
Authors
Katherine Walton-Day, Benjamin J. Siebers, Jo Ellen Hinck, Kate M. Campbell, Marie Noële Croteau
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