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
Reply to “Ranking filter methods for concentrating pathogens in lake water” Reply to “Ranking filter methods for concentrating pathogens in lake water”
Accurately comparing filtration methods is indeed difficult. Our method (1) and the method described by Borchardt et al. for determining recoveries are both acceptable approaches; however, each is designed to achieve a different research goal. Our study was designed to compare recoveries of multiple microorganisms in surface-water samples. Because, in practice, water-matrix effects come...
Authors
Rebecca N. Bushon, Donna S. Francy, Vicente J. Gallardo, H.D. Alan Lindquist, Eric N. Villegas, Michael W. Ware
Wetlands serve as natural sources for improvement of stream ecosystem health in regions affected by acid deposition Wetlands serve as natural sources for improvement of stream ecosystem health in regions affected by acid deposition
For over 40 years, acid deposition has been recognized as a serious international environmental problem, but efforts to restore acidified streams and biota have had limited success. The need to better understand the effects of different sources of acidity on streams has become more pressing with the recent increases in surface water organic acids, or 'brownification' associated with...
Authors
Katrina L Pound, Gregory B. Lawrence, Sophia I. Passy
The importance of record length in estimating the magnitude of climatic changes: an example using 175 years of lake ice-out dates in New England The importance of record length in estimating the magnitude of climatic changes: an example using 175 years of lake ice-out dates in New England
Many studies have shown that lake ice-out (break-up) dates in the Northern Hemisphere are useful indicators of late winter/early spring climate change. Trends in lake ice-out dates in New England, USA, were analyzed for 25, 50, 75, 100, 125, 150, and 175 year periods ending in 2008. More than 100 years of ice-out data were available for 19 of the 28 lakes in this study. The magnitude of...
Authors
Glenn A. Hodgkins
The effect of coal bed dewatering and partial oxidation on biogenic methane potential The effect of coal bed dewatering and partial oxidation on biogenic methane potential
Coal formation dewatering at a site in the Powder River Basin was associated with enhanced potential for secondary biogenic methane determined by using a bioassay. We hypothesized that dewatering can stimulate microbial activity and increase the bioavailability of coal. We analyzed one dewatered and two water-saturated coals to examine possible ways in which dewatering influences coal...
Authors
Elizabeth Jones, Steve H. Harris, Elliott P. Barnhart, William H. Orem, Arthur C. Clark, M.D. Corum, Julie D. Kirshtein, Matthew S. Varonka, Mary A. Voytek
Temporal and spatial variability of groundwater recharge on Jeju Island, Korea Temporal and spatial variability of groundwater recharge on Jeju Island, Korea
Estimates of groundwater recharge spatial and temporal variability are essential inputs to groundwater flow models that are used to test groundwater availability under different management and climate conditions. In this study, a soil water balance analysis was conducted to estimate groundwater recharge on the island of Jeju, Korea, for baseline, drought, and climate-land use change...
Authors
Alan Mair, Benjamin Hagedorn, Suzanne Tillery, Aly I. El-Kadi, Stephen M. Westenbroek, Kyoochul Ha, Gi-Won Koh
Environmental fate of fungicides and other current-use pesticides in a central California estuary Environmental fate of fungicides and other current-use pesticides in a central California estuary
The current study documents the fate of current-use pesticides in an agriculturally-dominated central California coastal estuary by focusing on the occurrence in water, sediment and tissue of resident aquatic organisms. Three fungicides (azoxystrobin, boscalid, and pyraclostrobin), one herbicide (propyzamide) and two organophosphate insecticides (chlorpyrifos and diazinon) were detected...
Authors
Kelly L. Smalling, Kathryn Kuivila, James L. Orlando, Bryn M. Phillips, Brian S. Anderson, Katie Siegler, John W. Hunt, Mary Hamilton
A generalized Grubbs-Beck test statistic for detecting multiple potentially influential low outliers in flood series A generalized Grubbs-Beck test statistic for detecting multiple potentially influential low outliers in flood series
he Grubbs-Beck test is recommended by the federal guidelines for detection of low outliers in flood flow frequency computation in the United States. This paper presents a generalization of the Grubbs-Beck test for normal data (similar to the Rosner (1983) test; see also Spencer and McCuen (1996)) that can provide a consistent standard for identifying multiple potentially influential low...
Authors
T.A. Cohn, J.F. England, C. E. Berenbrock, R.R. Mason, J.R. Stedinger, J.R. Lamontagne
Ultimate pier and contraction scour prediction in cohesive soils at selected bridges in Illinois Ultimate pier and contraction scour prediction in cohesive soils at selected bridges in Illinois
The Scour Rate In COhesive Soils-Erosion Function Apparatus (SRICOS-EFA) method includes an ultimate scour prediction that is the equilibrium maximum pier and contraction scour of cohesive soils over time. The purpose of this report is to present the results of testing the ultimate pier and contraction scour methods for cohesive soils on 30 bridge sites in Illinois. Comparison of the...
Authors
Timothy D. Straub, Thomas M. Over, Marian M. Domanski
Extreme rainfall, vulnerability and risk: a continental-scale assessment for South America Extreme rainfall, vulnerability and risk: a continental-scale assessment for South America
Extreme weather continues to preoccupy society as a formidable public safety concern bearing huge economic costs. While attention has focused on global climate change and how it could intensify key elements of the water cycle such as precipitation and river discharge, it is the conjunction of geophysical and socioeconomic forces that shapes human sensitivity and risks to weather extremes...
Authors
Charles J. Vorosmarty, Lelys Bravo de Guenni, Wilfred M. Wollheim, Brian A. Pellerin, David M. Bjerklie, Manoel Cardoso, Cassiano D’Almeida, Lilybeth Colon
Discharges of produced waters from oil and gas extraction via wastewater treatment plants are sources of disinfection by-products to receiving streams Discharges of produced waters from oil and gas extraction via wastewater treatment plants are sources of disinfection by-products to receiving streams
Fluids co-produced with oil and gas production (produced waters) are often brines that contain elevated concentrations of bromide. Bromide is an important precursor of several toxic disinfection by-products (DBPs) and the treatment of produced water may lead to more brominated DBPs. To determine if wastewater treatment plants that accept produced waters discharge greater amounts of...
Authors
Michelle Hladik, Michael J. Focazio, Mark Engle
Three new Psammothidium species from lakes of Olympic and Cascade Mountains in Washington State, USA Three new Psammothidium species from lakes of Olympic and Cascade Mountains in Washington State, USA
Populations of several Psammothidium species were found in core sediments from nine remote, high elevation, ultraoligotrophic and oligotrophic, Olympic and Cascade Mountain lakes. Three of these species, P. lacustre, P. alpinum, and P. nivale, are described here as new. The morphology of the silica frustules of these species was documented using light and scanning electron microscopy. We...
Authors
Mihaela D. Enache, Marina Potapova, Rich Sheibley, Patrick Moran
Bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) movement in relation to water temperature, season, and habitat features in Arrowrock Reservoir, Idaho, 2012 Bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) movement in relation to water temperature, season, and habitat features in Arrowrock Reservoir, Idaho, 2012
Acoustic telemetry was used to determine spring to summer (April–August) movement and habitat use of bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) in Arrowrock Reservoir (hereafter “Arrowrock”), a highly regulated reservoir in the Boise River Basin of southwestern Idaho. Water management practices annually use about 86 percent of the reservoir water volume to satisfy downstream water demands...
Authors
Terry R. Maret, Justin E. Schultz