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Rocky Mountain Region

USGS Region 7 Staff support and advise USGS Science Centers that provide numerous stakeholders with vital information about spatial distribution and temporal trends in critical minerals, energy resources, geology, water resources, native plants and wildlife, and hazards posed by earthquakes and landslides in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and beyond.

News

New Nationwide Tool Helps Answer: Do We Have Enough Water?

New Nationwide Tool Helps Answer: Do We Have Enough Water?

FORT Updates: From Plains to Peaks - Vol. 4 | Issue 1

FORT Updates: From Plains to Peaks - Vol. 4 | Issue 1

New tree-ring science demonstrates successful restoration of historical fire patterns in two southwestern wilderness areas

New tree-ring science demonstrates successful restoration of historical fire patterns in two southwestern wilderness areas

Publications

Practical guidance for engaging end-users and experts in developing scientific tools Practical guidance for engaging end-users and experts in developing scientific tools

This report provides actionable guidance for scientists developing scientific tools that inform on-the-ground decision making. Scientific tools, in the context of this report, are technology or protocols that help practitioners collect and analyze their own data, and information products and web tools that practitioners could use to inform decisions. Engaging end-users and fellow experts...
Authors
Kaylin R. Clements, James J. English, Emily J. Wilkins, Megan A. Moore, Rudy Schuster

Variability and consistency in wildfire susceptibility: Insights from a national compilation Variability and consistency in wildfire susceptibility: Insights from a national compilation

Background Wildfire risk in the United States is rising and remains a land management priority. The quantitative wildfire risk assessment (QWRA) framework integrates fuels, topography, weather and values at risk to estimate the potential change in value from wildfire. Within this, response functions (RFs) represent how values respond to fire intensity. These are often based on expert...
Authors
Aaron Daniel Russell, Lucas Bair, James R. Meldrum, Todd Hawbaker

Fossil footprints and Ice Age ecosystems of White Sands National Park Fossil footprints and Ice Age ecosystems of White Sands National Park

Introduction In September 2021, National Park Service staff, U.S. Geological Survey scientists, and an international team of researchers revealed evidence in the form of human footprints at White Sands National Park, New Mexico, that showed people were present in North America between 23,000 and 21,000 years ago. This time was during the Last Glacial Maximum, when large ice sheets...
Authors
Kathleen B. Springer, Jeffrey S. Pigati, David Bustos, Thomas M. Urban, Matthew R. Bennett

Science

Water Quality

The USGS, in partnership with multiple other groups, is learning about water-quality conditions across time and space in terminal lakes across the Great Basin. This effort is part of the Saline Lake Ecosystems Integrated Water Availability Assessment.
Water Quality

Water Quality

The USGS, in partnership with multiple other groups, is learning about water-quality conditions across time and space in terminal lakes across the Great Basin. This effort is part of the Saline Lake Ecosystems Integrated Water Availability Assessment.
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2025 USGS Benchmark Glaciers Executive Summary

2025 Data Now Available: Explore how the USGS Benchmark Glaciers have changed in 2025
2025 USGS Benchmark Glaciers Executive Summary

2025 USGS Benchmark Glaciers Executive Summary

2025 Data Now Available: Explore how the USGS Benchmark Glaciers have changed in 2025
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Developing Science Plans for the Bureau of Land Management’s National Landscape Conservation System

The Bureau of Land Management’s National Landscape Conservation System seeks to conserve, protect, and restore nationally significant landscapes. Science is a critical piece of this effort. The US Geological Survey is working with the Bureau of Land Management to develop Science Plans to help prioritize and support science efforts to better understand and manage resources in these landscapes.
Developing Science Plans for the Bureau of Land Management’s National Landscape Conservation System

Developing Science Plans for the Bureau of Land Management’s National Landscape Conservation System

The Bureau of Land Management’s National Landscape Conservation System seeks to conserve, protect, and restore nationally significant landscapes. Science is a critical piece of this effort. The US Geological Survey is working with the Bureau of Land Management to develop Science Plans to help prioritize and support science efforts to better understand and manage resources in these landscapes.
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