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: 19019
Step increase in eastern U.S. precipitation linked to Indian Ocean warming Step increase in eastern U.S. precipitation linked to Indian Ocean warming
A step increase in annual precipitation over the eastern United States in the early 1970s commenced five decades of invigorated hydroclimate, with ongoing impacts on streamflow and water resources. Despite its far-reaching impacts, the dynamical origin of this change is unknown. Here analyses of a century of atmospheric and oceanic data trace the dynamics to changes in the Indian Ocean...
Authors
Courtney Strong, Gregory J. McCabe, Alexander Weech
Groundwater levels in the Denver Basin bedrock aquifers of Douglas County, Colorado, 2011–19 Groundwater levels in the Denver Basin bedrock aquifers of Douglas County, Colorado, 2011–19
Municipal and domestic water users in Douglas County, Colorado, rely on groundwater from the bedrock aquifers in the Denver Basin aquifer system as part of their water supply. The four principal Denver Basin bedrock aquifers are, from shallowest to deepest, the Dawson aquifer (divided administratively into “upper” and “lower” Dawson aquifers in Douglas County), the Denver aquifer, the...
Authors
Helen F. Malenda, Colin A. Penn
Contaminants in fish and shellfish in the Stillaguamish River and Port Susan marine areas, Washington Contaminants in fish and shellfish in the Stillaguamish River and Port Susan marine areas, Washington
The greater Port Susan area of Central Puget Sound, Washington, is home to some of the Stillaguamish Tribe’s fishing, hunting, and gathering areas since time immemorial. It is also a popular sport and commercial fishing area for the public. Large shellfish beds lie in the Port Susan and Stillaguamish estuary and several Pacific salmon species return to the Stillaguamish River and Tulalip...
Authors
Patrick Moran, Franchesca Perez, Dave McBride
The influence of climate variability on the accuracy of NHD perennial and non-perennial stream classifications The influence of climate variability on the accuracy of NHD perennial and non-perennial stream classifications
National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) stream permanence classifications (SPC; perennial, intermittent, and ephemeral) are widely used for data visualization and applied science, and have implications for resource policy and management. NHD SPC were assigned using a combination of topographic field surveys and interviews with local residents. However, previous studies indicate that non‐NHD...
Authors
Konrad Hafen, Kyle W. Blasch, Alan H. Rea, Roy Sando, Paul Gessler
Hydrology of Haskell Lake and investigation of a groundwater contamination plume, Lac du Flambeau Reservation, Wisconsin Hydrology of Haskell Lake and investigation of a groundwater contamination plume, Lac du Flambeau Reservation, Wisconsin
Haskell Lake is a shallow, 89-acre drainage lake in the headwaters of the Squirrel River, on the Lac du Flambeau Reservation in northern Wisconsin. The lake has long been valued by the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians (LDF Tribe) for abundant wild rice and game fish. In recent decades, however, wild rice has mostly disappeared from the lake and the fishery has...
Authors
Andrew T. Leaf, Megan J. Haserodt
A distributed temperature sensing investigation of groundwater discharge to Haskell Lake, Lac du Flambeau Reservation, Wisconsin, July 27–August 1, 2016 A distributed temperature sensing investigation of groundwater discharge to Haskell Lake, Lac du Flambeau Reservation, Wisconsin, July 27–August 1, 2016
Haskell Lake is a shallow, 89-acre drainage lake in the headwaters of the Squirrel River, on the Lac du Flambeau Reservation in northern Wisconsin. Historically, this lake was an important producer of wild rice for the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians (LDF Tribe); but, beginning in the late 1970s, the rice began to diminish and by the late 1990s, the lake no longer...
Authors
Andrew T. Leaf
Reversal of forest soil acidification in the northeastern United States and eastern Canada: Site and soil factors contributing to recovery Reversal of forest soil acidification in the northeastern United States and eastern Canada: Site and soil factors contributing to recovery
As acidic deposition has decreased across Eastern North America, forest soils at some sites are beginning to show reversal of soil acidification. However, the degree of recovery appears to vary and is not fully explained by deposition declines alone. To assess if other site and soil factors can help to explain degree of recovery from acid deposition, soil resampling chemistry data (8- to...
Authors
P.W. Hazlett, C.E. Emilson, Gregory B. Lawrence, I. J. Fernandez, R. Ouimet, S.W. Bailey
Status of groundwater-level altitudes and long-term groundwater-level changes in the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers, Houston-Galveston region, Texas, 2020 Status of groundwater-level altitudes and long-term groundwater-level changes in the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers, Houston-Galveston region, Texas, 2020
Since the early 1900s, most of the groundwater withdrawals in the Houston-Galveston region, Texas, have been from the three primary aquifers that compose the Gulf Coast aquifer system—the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers. Withdrawals from these aquifers are used for municipal supply, commercial and industrial use, and irrigation. This report, prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey...
Authors
Christopher L. Braun, Jason K. Ramage
Biological effects of hydrocarbon degradation intermediates: Is the total petroleum hydrocarbon analytical method adequate for risk assessment? Biological effects of hydrocarbon degradation intermediates: Is the total petroleum hydrocarbon analytical method adequate for risk assessment?
In crude oil contaminant plumes, the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is mainly hydrocarbon degradation intermediates only partly quantified by the diesel range total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPHd) method. To understand potential biological effects of degradation intermediates, we tested three fractions of DOC: (1) solid-phase extract (HLB); (2) dichloromethane (DCM-total) extract used in...
Authors
Barbara A. Bekins, Jennifer Brennan, Donald E. Tillitt, Isabelle M. Cozzarelli, Jennifer M. Illig, Dalma Martinovich-Weigelt
Movement of synthetic organic compounds in the food web after the introduction of invasive quagga mussels (Dreissena bugensis) in Lake Mead, Nevada and Arizona, USA Movement of synthetic organic compounds in the food web after the introduction of invasive quagga mussels (Dreissena bugensis) in Lake Mead, Nevada and Arizona, USA
Introductions of dreissenid mussels in North America have been a significant concern over the last few decades. This study assessed the distribution of synthetic organic compounds (SOCs) in the food web of Lake Mead, Nevada/Arizona, USA and how this distribution was influenced by the introduction of invasive quagga mussels. A clear spatial gradient of SOC concentrations in water was...
Authors
Steven L. Goodbred, Michael R. Rosen, Reynaldo Patino, David A. Alvarez, Kathy R. Echols, Kerensa King, John Umek
Assessing the potential for spectrally based remote sensing of salmon spawning locations Assessing the potential for spectrally based remote sensing of salmon spawning locations
Remote sensing tools are increasingly used for quantitative mapping of fluvial habitats, yet few techniques exist for continuous sampling of aquatic organisms, such as spawning salmonids. This study assessed the potential for spectrally based remote sensing of salmon spawning locations (i.e., redds) using data acquired from unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) along a large, gravel‐bed river...
Authors
Lee R. Harrison, Carl J. Legleiter, Brandon T. Overstreet, Tomoko Bell, John Hannon
The GFDL Earth System Model Version 4.1 (GFDL-ESM 4.1): Overall coupled model description and simulation characteristics The GFDL Earth System Model Version 4.1 (GFDL-ESM 4.1): Overall coupled model description and simulation characteristics
We describe the baseline coupled model configuration and simulation characteristics of GFDL's Earth System Model Version 4.1 (ESM4.1), which builds on component and coupled model developments at GFDL over 2013–2018 for coupled carbon-chemistry-climate simulation contributing to the sixth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project. In contrast with GFDL's CM4.0 development effort...
Authors
John P Dunne, L W Horowitz, A. Adcroft, P. Ginoux, I.M. Held, J.C.H. Johns, John P. Krasting, Sergey Malyshev, V. Naik, F. Paulot, Elena Shevliakova, C. A. Stock, N Zadeh, V. Balaji, C Blanton, C Dupuis, J. Durachta, R Dussin, Paul P. G. Gauthier, S M Griffies, Huan Guo, Robert W. Hallberg, Matthew J. Harrison, Jian He, W Hurlin, Charles W. McHugh, R Menzel, Paul C. D. Milly, S Nikonov, D. Paynter, J J Ploshay, A. Radhakrishnan, K Rand, B Reichel, T.C. Robinson, M D Schwarzkopf, L Sentman, S. Underwood, H Vahlenkamp, M. Winton, Andrew T. Wittenberg, Bruce Wyman, Yujin Zeng, Ming Zhao