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.
Evaluation of groundwater resources in the Spanish Valley Watershed, Grand and San Juan Counties, Utah
Groundwater resources in the Spanish Valley watershed in southern Utah were quantified for the first time since the early 1970s. The primary objectives of this study were (1) to better understand sources of recharge to, groundwater flow directions within, and discharge points for both the valley-fill and Glen Canyon Group aquifers (VFA and GCGA),...
Masbruch, Melissa D.; Gardner, Philip M.; Nelson, Nora C.; Heilweil, Victor M.; Solder, John E.; Hess, Michael D.; McKinney, Tim S.; Briggs, Martin A.; Solomon, D. Kip
Flood-inundation maps for Joachim Creek, De Soto, Missouri, 2018
Digital flood-inundation maps for a 6.7-mile reach of Joachim Creek, De Soto, Missouri, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the city of De Soto and Jefferson County, Missouri. The flood-inundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Program website at https://www.usgs.gov/mission-...
Heimann, David C.; Voss, Jonathan D.; Rydlund, Jr., Paul H.
Estimated groundwater recharge from a water-budget model incorporating selected climate projections, Island of Maui, Hawai‘i
Demand for freshwater on the Island of Maui is expected to increase by 45 percent between 2015 and 2035. Groundwater availability on Maui is affected by changes in climate and agricultural irrigation. To evaluate the availability of fresh groundwater under projected future climate conditions and changing agricultural irrigation practices,...
Mair, Alan; Johnson, Adam G.; Rotzoll, Kolja; Oki, Delwyn S.
Biogenic coal-to-methane conversion can be enhanced with small additions of algal amendment in field-relevant upflow column reactors
ubsurface coal environments, where biogenic coal-to-methane conversion occurs, are difficult to access, resulting in inherent challenges and expenses for in situexperiments. Previous batch reactor studies provided insights into specific processes, pathways, kinetics, and engineering strategies, but field-relevance is restricted due to limited...
Davis, Katherine J.; Platt, George A.; Barnhart, Elliott; Hiebart, Randy; Hyatt, Robert; Fields, Matthew W.; Gerlach, Robin
Characterization of Big Chino subbasin hydrogeology near Paulden, Arizona, using controlled source audio-frequency magnetotelluric surveys
The Big Chino subbasin is located in central-northwest Arizona in the transition zone between the Colorado Plateau and the Basin and Range Province. The controlled source audio-frequency magnetotelluric (CSAMT) geophysical method, a low-impact, non-intrusive, electrical resistance sounding technique, was used to evaluate the subsurface...
Macy, Jamie P.; Gungle, Bruce W.; Mason, Jon P. Adding invasive species bio-surveillance to the U.S. Geological Survey streamgage network
The costs of invasive species in the United States alone are estimated to exceed US$100 billion per year so a critical tactic in minimizing the costs of invasive species is the development of effective, early-detection systems. To this end, we evaluated the efficacy of adding environmental (e)DNA surveillance to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)...
Sepulveda, Adam J.; Schmidt, Christian; Amberg, Jon J.; Hutchins, Patrick R.; Stratton, Christian; Mebane, Christopher A.; Laramie, Matthew; Pilliod, David
Use of Set Blanks in Reporting Pesticide Results at the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Laboratory, 2001–15
Executive SummaryBackground.—Pesticide results from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Quality Laboratory (NWQL) are used for water-quality assessments by many agencies and organizations. The USGS is committed to providing data of the highest possible quality to the consumers of its data. A cooperator’s inquiries about specific...
Medalie, Laura; Sandstrom, Mark W.; Toccalino, Patricia L.; Foreman, William T.; ReVello, Rhiannon C.; Bexfield, Laura M.; Riskin, Melissa L. Occurrence and sources of radium in groundwater associated with oil fields in the southern San Joaquin Valley, California
Geochemical data from 40 water wells were used to examine the occurrence and sources of radium (Ra) in groundwater associated with three oil fields in California (Fruitvale, Lost Hills, South Belridge). 226Ra+228Ra activities (range=0.010-0.51 Bq/L) exceeded the 0.185 Bq/L drinking-water standard in 18% of the wells (not drinking-water wells)....
McMahon, Peter B.; Avner Vengosh; Davis, Tracy; Landon, Matthew K.; Rebecca L. Tyne; Wright, Michael; Kulongoski, Justin T.; Hunt, Andrew G.; Peter H. Barry; A.J. Kondash; Z. Wang; Christopher J. Ballentine Estimation of base flow by optimal hydrograph separation for the conterminous United States and implications for national-extent hydrologic models
Optimal hydrograph separation (OHS) uses a two-parameter recursive digital filter that applies specific conductance mass-balance constraints to estimate the base flow contribution to total streamflow at stream gages where discharge and specific conductance are measured. OHS was applied to U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) stream gages across the...
Foks, Sydney; Raffensperger, Jeff P.; Penn, Colin A.; Driscoll, Jessica M. Chemical and physical controls on mercury source signatures in stream fish from the northeastern United States
Streams in the northeastern U.S. receive mercury (Hg) in varying proportions from atmospheric deposition and legacy point sources, making it difficult to attribute shifts in fish concentrations directly back to changes in Hg source management. Mercury stable isotope tracers were utilized to relate sources of Hg to co-located fish and bed sediments...
Janssen, Sarah E.; Riva-Murray, Karen; DeWild, John F.; Ogorek, Jacob M.; Tate, Michael T.; Van Metre, Peter C.; Krabbenhoft, David P.; Coles, James F.
Streamflow, water quality, and constituent loads and yields, Scituate Reservoir Drainage Area, Rhode Island, Water Year 2017
As part of a long-term cooperative program to monitor water quality within the Scituate Reservoir drainage area, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Providence Water Supply Board, collected streamflow and water-quality data at the Scituate Reservoir and tributaries. Streamflow and concentrations of chloride and sodium estimated...
Smith, Kirk P.
Effective solubility assessment for organic analytes in liquid samples, BKK class I landfill, West Covina, California, 2014–16
Executive SummaryThe U.S. Geological Survey assessed the effective solubilities of organic analytes at the BKK Class Ⅰ Landfill site, West Covina, California, in cooperation with the California Department of Toxic Substances Control, using available data for liquid samples collected within (in-waste) and below (sub-waste) the landfill in 2014–16....
Lorah, Michelle M.; Majcher, Emily H.; Morel, Carol J.