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
Conserved grasslands support similar pollinator diversity as pollinator-specific practice regardless of proximal cropland and pesticide exposure Conserved grasslands support similar pollinator diversity as pollinator-specific practice regardless of proximal cropland and pesticide exposure
Pollinator diversity and abundance are declining globally. Cropland agriculture and the corresponding use of agricultural pesticides may contribute to these declines, while increased pollinator habitat (flowering plants) can help mitigate them. Here we tested whether the relative effect of wildflower plantings on pollinator diversity and counts were modified by proportion of nearby...
Authors
Johanna M. Kraus, Kelly Smalling, Mark W. Vandever, Carrie E. Givens, Cassandra Smith, Dana W. Kolpin, Michelle L. Hladik
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Environmental Health Program, California Water Science Center, Central Midwest Water Science Center, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Fort Collins Science Center, New Jersey Water Science Center, Oregon Water Science Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center
Updates to the regional groundwater-flow model of the New Jersey Coastal Plain, 1980–2013 Updates to the regional groundwater-flow model of the New Jersey Coastal Plain, 1980–2013
A 21-layer three-dimensional transient groundwater-flow model of the New Jersey Coastal Plain was developed and calibrated by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to simulate groundwater-flow conditions during 1980–2013, incorporating average annual groundwater withdrawals and average annual groundwater recharge. This...
Authors
Alison D. Gordon, Glen B. Carleton
Aquatic carbon export and dynamics in mountain headwater streams of the western U.S. Aquatic carbon export and dynamics in mountain headwater streams of the western U.S.
Mountain headwater streams actively cycle carbon, receiving it from terrestrial landscapes and exporting it through downstream transport and gas exchange with the atmosphere. Although their importance is now widely recognized, aquatic carbon fluxes in headwater streams remain poorly characterized. In this study, aquatic carbon fluxes were measured in 15 mountain headwater streams and...
Authors
David W. Clow, Garrett Alexander Akie, Robert G. Striegl, Colin Penn, Graham A. Sexstone, Gabrielle L. Keith
Assessment of post-wildfire geomorphic change in the North Fork Eagle Creek stream channel, New Mexico, 2017–21 Assessment of post-wildfire geomorphic change in the North Fork Eagle Creek stream channel, New Mexico, 2017–21
The 2012 Little Bear Fire caused substantial vegetation loss in the Eagle Creek Basin of south-central New Mexico. This loss was expected to alter the localized hydrologic response to precipitation by creating conditions that amplify surface runoff, which might alter the geomorphology of North Fork Eagle Creek, a major tributary to Eagle Creek. To monitor short-term geomorphic change...
Authors
Justin R. Nichols, Shaleene B. Chavarria, Alexander P. Graziano
Determination and prediction of micro scale rare earth element geochemical associations in mine drainage treatment wastes Determination and prediction of micro scale rare earth element geochemical associations in mine drainage treatment wastes
Acid mine drainage (AMD) has been proposed as a novel source of rare earth elements (REE), a group of elements that includes critical metals for clean energy and modern technologies. REE are sequestered in the Fe–Al–Mn-rich precipitates produced during the treatment of AMD. These AMD solids are typically managed as waste but could be a REE source. Here, results from AMD solids...
Authors
Benjamin C. Hedin, Mengling Y. Stuckman, Charles A. Cravotta, Christina L. Lopano, Rosemary C. Capo
Recharge estimation approach in a data-scarce semi-arid region, Northern Ethiopian Rift Valley Recharge estimation approach in a data-scarce semi-arid region, Northern Ethiopian Rift Valley
Sustainable management of groundwater resources highly relies on the accurate estimation of recharge. However, accurate recharge estimation is a challenge, especially in data-scarce regions, as the existing models are data-intensive and require extensive parameterization. This study developed a process-based hydrologic model combining local and remotely sensed data for characterizing...
Authors
Sisay Simachew Mekonen, Scott E. Boyce, Abdella K. Mohammed, Lorraine E. Flint, Alan L Flint, Markus Disse
Characterizing performance of freshwater wetland methane models across time scales at FLUXNET-CH4 sites using wavelet analyses Characterizing performance of freshwater wetland methane models across time scales at FLUXNET-CH4 sites using wavelet analyses
Process-based land surface models are important tools for estimating global wetland methane (CH4) emissions and projecting their behavior across space and time. So far there are no performance assessments of model responses to drivers at multiple time scales. In this study, we apply wavelet analysis to identify the dominant time scales contributing to model uncertainty in the frequency...
Authors
Zhen Zhang, Sheel Bansal, Kuang-Yu Chang, Etienne Fluet-Chouinard, Kyle B. Delwiche, Mathias Goeckede, Adrian Gustafson, Sara Knox, Antii Leppanen, Licheng Liu, Jinxun Liu, Avni Malhotra, Tiina Markkanen, Gavin McNicol, Joe R. Melton, Paul A Miller, Changhui Peng, Maarit Raivonen, William Riley, Oliver Sonnentag, Tuula Aalto, Rodrigo Vargas, Wenxin Zhang, Qing Zhu, Qiuan Zhu, Qianlai Zhuang, Lisamarie Windham-Myers, Robert B. Jackson, Benjamin Poulter
Predicting daily river chlorophyll concentrations at a continental scale Predicting daily river chlorophyll concentrations at a continental scale
Eutrophication is one of the largest threats to aquatic ecosystems and chlorophyll a measurements are relevant indicators of trophic state and algal abundance. Many studies have modeled chlorophyll a in rivers but model development and testing has largely occurred at individual sites which hampers creating generalized models capable of making broad-scale predictions. To address this gap...
Authors
Philip Savoy, Judson Harvey
Detection and quantification of preferential flow using artificial rainfall with multiple experimental approaches Detection and quantification of preferential flow using artificial rainfall with multiple experimental approaches
Preferential flow in the unsaturated zone strongly influences important hydrologic processes, such as infiltration, contaminant transport, and aquifer recharge. Because it entails various combinations of physical processes arising from the interactions of water, air, and solid particles in a porous medium, preferential flow is highly complex. Major research is needed to improve the...
Authors
Maria Clementina Caputo, Lorenzo De Carlo, Rita Masciale, Kimberlie Perkins, Antonietta Celeste Turturro, John R. Nimmo
Response of lake metabolism to catchment inputs inferred using high-frequency lake and stream data from across the northern hemisphere Response of lake metabolism to catchment inputs inferred using high-frequency lake and stream data from across the northern hemisphere
In lakes, the rates of gross primary production (GPP), ecosystem respiration (R), and net ecosystem production (NEP) are often controlled by resource availability. Herein, we explore how catchment vs. within lake predictors of metabolism compare using data from 16 lakes spanning 39°N to 64°N, a range of inflowing streams, and trophic status. For each lake, we combined stream loads of...
Authors
Jessica R. Corman, Jacob Aaron Zwart, Jennifer Klug, Denise A Bruesewitz, Elvira de Eyto, Marcus Klaus, Lesley B. Knoll, James A. Rusak, Michael J. Vanni, Maria Belen Alfonso, Rocio Luz Fernandez, Huaxia Yao, Kari Austnes, Raoul-Marie Couture, Heleen A. de Wit, Jan Karlsson, Alo Laas
Development of the North Carolina stormwater-treatment decision-support system by using the Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model (SELDM) Development of the North Carolina stormwater-treatment decision-support system by using the Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model (SELDM)
The Federal Highway Administration and State departments of transportation nationwide need an efficient method to assess potential adverse effects of highway stormwater runoff on receiving waters to optimize stormwater-treatment decisions. To this end, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration and the North Carolina Department of Transportation...
Authors
Gregory E. Granato, Charles C. Stillwell, J. Curtis Weaver, Andrew H. McDaniel, Brian S. Lipscomb, Susan C. Jones, Ryan M. Mullins
Thirty years of regional groundwater-quality trend studies in the United States: Major findings and lessons learned Thirty years of regional groundwater-quality trend studies in the United States: Major findings and lessons learned
Changes in groundwater quality have been evaluated for more than 2,200 wells in 25 Principal Aquifers in the United States based on repeated decadal sampling (once every 10 years) from 1988 to 2021. The purpose of this study is to identify contaminants with changing concentrations, the locations and magnitude of those changes, the factors driving those changes, the obstacles to...
Authors
Bruce D. Lindsey, Brandon J. Fleming, Phillip J. Goodling, Amanda Nicole May