Water Resources
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.
Hydrogeologic characterization of the Hualapai Plateau on the western Hualapai Indian Reservation, northwestern Arizona
This study was developed to assess if groundwater from the western Hualapai Plateau could be used to supply developments in the Grand Canyon West area of the Hualapai Indian Reservation and to collect hydrogeologic data for future use in a numerical groundwater model for the reservation. Ground-based geophysical surveys; existing well, spring, and...
Mason, Jon P.; Macy, Jamie P.; Bills, Donald J.; Gungle, Bruce W.; Jones, Casey J.
Simulation of groundwater-level changes from projected groundwater withdrawals in the Truxton basin, northwestern Arizona
A three-dimensional, numerical groundwater flow model of the Hualapai Plateau and Truxton basin was developed to assist water-resource managers in understanding the potential effects of projected groundwater withdrawals on groundwater levels and storage in the basin. The Truxton Basin Hydrologic Model (TBHM) is a transient model that simulates the...
Mason, Jon P.; Knight, Jacob E.
Landscape drivers of dynamic change in water quality of US rivers
Water security is a top concern for social well-being and dramatic changes in the availability of freshwater have occurred as a result of human uses and landscape management. Elevated nutrient loading and perturbations to major ion composition have resulted from human activities and have degraded freshwater resources. This study addresses the...
Stets, Edward G.; Sprague, Lori A.; Oelsner, Gretchen P.; Johnson, Henry M.; Murphy, Jennifer C.; Ryberg, Karen R.; Vecchia, Aldo V.; Zuellig, Robert E.; Falcone, James A.; Riskin, Melissa L.
Effects of huisache removal on rangeland evapotranspiration in Victoria County, south-central Texas, 2015–18
The U.S. Geological Survey and Desert Research Institute, in cooperation with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board, Victoria County Groundwater Conservation District, Victoria Soil and Water Conservation District, and the San Antonio River Authority, evaluated the hydrologic effects of Vachellia...
Slattery, Richard N.; Ockerman, Darwin J.; Bromley, Matthew; Huntington, Justin; Banta, John R.
Hydrogeologic units, contour maps, and cross sections of the Boone and Roubidoux aquifers, northeastern Oklahoma, 2020
The Boone and Roubidoux aquifers (or their equivalents) are the main sources of fresh groundwater in northeastern Oklahoma. Projected total water demand of both surface water and groundwater in northeastern Oklahoma is expected to increase approximately 56 percent from 2010 to 2060. This report provides an overview of the hydrogeology of...
Russell, Cory A.; Stivers, Jacob W.
Trends in streamflow and precipitation for selected sites in the Elkhorn River Basin and in streamflow in the Salt Creek and Platte River Basins, Nebraska, 1961–2011
To better understand the streamflow trends at the streamgages in the Elkhorn River Basin in Nebraska, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District further investigated streamflow trends at the eight streamgages on the Elkhorn River, Salt Creek, and the Lower Platte River that indicated a...
Dietsch, Benjamin J.; Strauch, Kellan R. Sequential biodegradation of 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene at oxic-anoxic groundwater interfaces in model laboratory columns
Halogenated organic solvents such as chlorobenzenes (CBs) are frequent groundwater contaminants due to legacy spills. When contaminated anaerobic groundwater discharges into surface water through wetlands and other transition zones, aeration can occur from various physical and biological processes at shallow depths, resulting in oxic-anoxic...
Chow, Steven J.; Lorah, Michelle M.; Wadhawan, Amar R.; Durant, Neal D.; Bouwer, Edward J. Li and Ca enrichment in the Bristol Dry Lake brine compared to brines from Cadiz and Danby Dry Lakes, Barstow-Bristol Trough, California, USA
Relatively few discharging playas in western United States extensional basins have high concentrations of lithium (Li) and calcium (Ca) in the basin-center brines. However, the source of both these ions is not well understood, and it is not clear why basins in close proximity within the same extensional trough have notably different concentrations...
Rosen, Michael R.; Stillings, Lisa; Kane, Tyler; Campbell, Kate M.; Vitale, Matthew; Spanjers, Ray Emerging and historical contaminants detected in desert rodents collected near a low‐level radioactive waste site
In an effort to determine contaminant presence, concentrations, and movement from a low‐level radioactive waste (LLRW) burial disposal site to ecosystems in the surrounding area, a study was developed to assess concentrations of per‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and tritium. To complete this assessment...
Cleary, Ryan S.; Karnjanapiboonwong, Adcharee; Thompson, William A.; Lasee, Steven J.; Sabbiah, Seenivasan; Kauble, Ronald; Andraski, Brian J.; Anderson, Todd A.
Optimization assessment of a groundwater-level observation network in the Middle Rio Grande Basin, New Mexico
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority (ABCWUA), measures groundwater levels continuously (hourly) and discretely (semiannually and annually) at a network of wells and piezometers (hereafter called the observation network) within the Middle Rio Grande Basin in central New Mexico....
Ritchie, Andre B.; Pepin, Jeff D.
A historical look at changing water quality in the Delaware River Basin
In 2019 the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) launched a pilot regional Integrated Water Availability Assessment (IWAA) in the Delaware River Basin (fig. 1). IWAA is intended to explore, test, and refine systems and processes for assessing water availability for human and ecological uses and understanding their underlying controls. Water quality plays...
Murphy, Jennifer C.; Shoda, Megan E. Methylmercury—total mercury ratios in predator and primary consumer insects from Adirondack streams (New York, USA)
Mercury (Hg) is a global pollutant that affects biota in otherwise pristine settings due to atmospheric transport and deposition, and conversion, via natural processes, of inorganic mercury to methylmercury (MeHg), the bioavailable and toxic form. Characterizing biotic MeHg levels in broad-scale, regional assessments is, thus, important to...
Riva-Murray, Karen; Bradley, Paul; Brigham, Mark E.