Publications
This list of Water Resources Mission Area publications includes both official USGS publications and journal articles authored by our scientists. A searchable database of all USGS publications can be accessed at the USGS Publications Warehouse.
Filter Total Items: 19021
New insights on the origin of the Richardson-Richards equation New insights on the origin of the Richardson-Richards equation
The Richardson-Richards equation (RRE), despite known shortcomings especially in regard to preferential flow, provides the basis of the vast majority of unsaturated flow models in use today. L.F. Richardson published this equation in 1922, nine years before L.A. Richards. Whereas Richards approached this problem directly from the groundbreaking developments of Edgar Buckingham...
Authors
John R. Nimmo
Dust in the Critical Zone: North American case studies Dust in the Critical Zone: North American case studies
The dust cycle facilitates the exchange of particles among Earth's major systems, enabling dust to traverse ecosystems, cross geographic boundaries, and even move uphill against the natural flow of gravity. Dust in the atmosphere is composed of a complex and ever-changing mixture that reflects the evolving human footprint on the landscape. The emission, transport, and deposition of dust...
Authors
Janice Brahney, Ruth C. Heindel, Thomas E. Gill, Gregory Carling, Juan M Gonzalez-Olalla, Jenny L. Hand, Derek V. Mallia, Jeffrey S. Munroe, Kevin Perry, Annie L. Putman, S. McKenzie Skiles, Brad R. Adams, Zachary T. Aanderud, Sarah M. Aarons, Daniela Aguirre, Karin Ardon-Dryer, Molly A. Blakowski, Jessie M. Creamean, Diego P. Fernandez, Hosein Foroutan, Cassandra J. Gaston, Maura Hahnenberger, Sebastian W. Hoch, Daniel K. Jones, Kerry E. Kelly, Otto I. Lang, Josh Lemonte, Richard L. Reynolds, Ramesh P. Singh, Mark Sweeney, Thorn K. Merrill
Quantifying fine sediment infiltration in spawning gravel used by Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in the Sauk River Basin, Washington, 2018–21 Quantifying fine sediment infiltration in spawning gravel used by Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in the Sauk River Basin, Washington, 2018–21
Fine sediment can infiltrate into river substrate that salmonid fish species (Oncorhynchus spp.) use to spawn. High levels of sediment infiltration can increase egg-to-fry mortality, which corresponds to the period when salmonids are still residing in the subsurface gravels. This study quantifies fine sediment infiltration of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) spawning habitat...
Authors
Kristin L. Jaeger, Scott W. Anderson, Anya C. Leach, Scott T. Morris
Fall 2024 Fall 2024
This issue highlights our long history of outreach on Cape Cod in an article and video. It also features a story about our crest-stage gage network in Vermont, which provisionally hit high-water records during flash floods this summer. Also, we discuss a USGS study that examined trends of extreme low-flows across multiple continents.
Authors
Katrina Rossos
Evaluation of the lakes and impoundments drought index for the Massachusetts Drought Management Plan Evaluation of the lakes and impoundments drought index for the Massachusetts Drought Management Plan
The condition of surface water storage in lakes and impoundments is used as an index of drought in the Massachusetts drought management plan. The U.S. Geological Survey visited 28 of these lakes and impoundments at 14 single and multiple waterbody systems to evaluate their appropriateness for characterizing drought. The data collection and computation methods at each system were then...
Authors
Travis L. Smith
Statistical analysis of Lake Tahoe secchi depth data Statistical analysis of Lake Tahoe secchi depth data
Secchi depth measurements in Lake Tahoe have been collected at a Long-Term Profile (LTP) monitoring site since 1968. Periodic updates in Secchi trend analysis are needed to understand changes in the long-term record, changes in seasonal pattern, and to provide insight into the progress of restoration efforts in improving lake clarity. As such, this analysis is intended to evaluate the...
Authors
Ramon C. Naranjo
Estimating groundwater level records using MOVE.1 and computing monthly percentiles from estimated groundwater records in Massachusetts Estimating groundwater level records using MOVE.1 and computing monthly percentiles from estimated groundwater records in Massachusetts
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, performed record extensions on groundwater levels at select wells using the Maintenance of Variance Extension type 1 (MOVE.1) method. The groundwater levels estimated from these record extensions were used to compute monthly percentiles to improve future determinations of a...
Authors
Elizabeth A. Ahearn, Dee-Ann E. Crozier
Simulated mean monthly groundwater-transported nitrogen loads in watersheds on the north shore of Long Island Sound, 1993–2022 Simulated mean monthly groundwater-transported nitrogen loads in watersheds on the north shore of Long Island Sound, 1993–2022
Elevated nitrogen loads are pervasive in the Long Island Sound, an estuary that receives freshwater and nutrients from both surface-water and groundwater discharge. Surface-water nitrogen loads to the Long Island Sound are relatively well characterized, but less is known about groundwater-transported nitrogen loads. Prior work on the northern shore of Long Island Sound (Connecticut and...
Authors
Janet R. Barclay, Madeleine J. Holland, John R. Mullaney
Stream nitrate dynamics driven primarily by discharge and watershed physical and soil characteristics at intensively monitored sites: Insights from deep learning Stream nitrate dynamics driven primarily by discharge and watershed physical and soil characteristics at intensively monitored sites: Insights from deep learning
We developed a suite of models using deep learning to make hindcast predictions of the 7‐day average backward‐looking nitrate concentration at 46 predominantly agricultural sites across the midwestern and eastern United States. The models used daily observations of discharge and meteorological variables and watershed attributes describing anthropogenic modification to hydrology, nitrogen
Authors
Galen Gorski, Laurel Larsen, Jordan Wingenroth, Liang Zhang, Dino Bellugi, Alison P. Appling
Groundwater quality near the Placerita Oil Field, California, 2018 Groundwater quality near the Placerita Oil Field, California, 2018
Groundwater-quality data and potential fluid-migration pathways near the Placerita Oil Field in Los Angeles County, California, were examined by the U.S. Geological Survey to determine if oil-field fluids (water and gas from oil-producing and non-producing zones) have mixed with groundwater resources. Six of the 13 new groundwater samples collected for this study contained petroleum...
Authors
Jennifer S. Stanton, Matthew K. Landon, David H. Shimabukuro, Justin T. Kulongoski, Andrew G. Hunt, Peter B. McMahon, Isabelle M. Cozzarelli, Robert Anders, Theron A. Sowers
Factors contributing to pesticide contamination in riverine systems: The role of wastewater and landscape sources Factors contributing to pesticide contamination in riverine systems: The role of wastewater and landscape sources
Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) discharges can be a source of organic contaminants, including pesticides, to rivers. An integrated model was developed for the Potomac River watershed (PRW) to determine the amount of accumulated wastewater percentage of streamflow (ACCWW) and calculate predicted environmental concentrations (PECs) for 14 pesticides in non-tidal National Hydrography...
Authors
Samuel Adam Miller, Kaycee E. Faunce, Larry B. Barber, Jacob Fleck, Daniel Walter Burns, Jeramy Roland Jasmann, Michelle L. Hladik
Pesticides in surface water downstream of and near agricultural and developed land in Hawai‘i, 2015–19 Pesticides in surface water downstream of and near agricultural and developed land in Hawai‘i, 2015–19
Pesticides and pesticide degradates (herein referred to as pesticides) in surface water were assessed at 78 sites on 4 Hawaiian Islands (Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Maui, and Island of Hawaiʻi) during 2015–19. Each site was downstream of or near agricultural land, developed land, or both. Most (58) sites were streams; the remaining sites were canals, ditches, anchialine pools, coastal ponds, and the...
Authors
Adam G. Johnson, Joseph J. Kennedy, David A. Alvarez