Multimedia Gallery

Hydrologist Nick plays a river tune

A properly rigged cataraft on the banks of the Green River in the Uintah Basin

An integral part of each segment of the expedition is a recorded dialogue in which participans reflect on such things as Powell's legacy, the future of the West in light of water and energy issues, and what personal growth has occurred as a result of the expedition.

This calm section of river flows through a National Wildlife Refuge where we observed a great deal of wildlife, including beaver, peregrin falcons, waterfowl, a coyote, bighorn sheep and American white pelicans

Walking back to camp, fossilbeds under foot and pumpjacks thumping in the background

Team D braces itself on a windy bluff to watch another beautiful sunset

USGS geologist Graham Lederer (L) wrote a song about the expedition while floating down the river, and Professor Pat Likut (R), who teaches art at the University of Wyoming, did landscape sketches that he will later turn into oil paintings.

Starting two years ago, Professor Tom Minckley, from the University of Wyoming geology department, conceived and organized the Sesquicentennial Colorado River Exploring Expedition (SCREE), also known as the Powell 150 expedition. The USGS joined as a partner last year.

On a calm river with no rapids or impediments, boaters often tie up rafts together in a flotilla or 'party barge' to socialize, share snacks or just enjoy the scenery with a group

We spent the evening listening to the rhythmic sounds of an oil pumpjack straining at the efforts to connect with its Cretaceous past, accompanied by Pat matcing this rhythm on his guitar . Even in the presence of industrial oil extraction, the desert is spectacular at sunset.

Mitch and Graham collect sediment samples on a transect

Graham birds from a duckie. USGS isn't only geology and Graham isn't only a geologist!

Cliff swallows nest in organic apartments on a cliff face along the Green River in the Uintah Basin

CB-1072 Niverville NY USGS gage

University of Wyoming grad student (media and communications) Ben Kraushaar is also an accomplished filmmaker, and is making a film of the expedition using both eyelevel shots and lofty drone aerials. He was instrumental in getting equipment of all types donated to the expedition.

The brick-red, flat-lying Duchesne Formation sandstones dominated the landscape for a couple days. Its bluffs are a favorite nesting spot for cliff swallows, of which we saw many, and peregrine falcons, of which we saw two.

Sampling pre-emergent aquatic insects is not always easy, especially on a river with little cobble substrate. Because of the high water from dam release, a lot of floating driftwood was making its way down river. We are testing a new method to sample this substrate for benthic invertebrates to examine questions of species diversity, dispersal and habitat use.

Rigging the boats on chilly desert mornings is a slow affair. All our food and gear must be sorted, distributed and carefully packed among the six rafts to be able to accommodate its passengers and so it can all be easily found again when we reach our evening camp. While those responsible for their boat organize stowing of the gear, we enjoy the peacefulness of morning and

Sampling pre-emergent aquatic insects is not always easy, especially on a river with little cobble substrate. Because of the high water from dam release, a lot of floating driftwood was making its way down river. We thought this might serve as important substrate for benthic invertebrates and tested a sampling method to look at species diversity and, maybe, dispersal

Early June is a great time to view wildflowers in the Utah desert. Although they may have had a vicious appearance, these cacti had absolutely lovely blossoms.

Ben Capelin and Austin Alvarado have multi-faceted roles on the expedition, serving as expert boatmen, talented cooks, evening companions, and contributors to any discussions.

One of the ongoing experiments on the expedition is a bioacoustic survey monitor, which will parse recorded nighttime sounds into species and numbers of individuals. Here Tom Minckley explains it to USGS scientists Mitch Eaton, Jamie Delano, and John Parks.

Team D enters the middle of the Uinta basin on Day 2, with Split Mountain still visible. The flow of the river greatly increased that day due to a controlled release at Flaming Gorge Dam. The high flow is meant to carry the larvae of an endangered species of sucker fish into bordering wetlands, where the larvae can grow under more protected conditions.

Congratulations to Dr. Anne Wein, Operations Research Analyst at WGSC, who received a 2019 Bay Area Metro Award from the Association of Bay Area Governments and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission for her work as lead researcher for the HayWired earthquake scenario. The HayWired Scenario is a 4-year scientific analysis to anticipate the potential impacts of a 7.0

Florence Bascom joins John Wesley Powell on a 5-day leg of the Powell 150 Expedition, marking the 150th anniversary of the Powell Expedition, an exploration of the Green and Colorado Rivers that ended in the Grand Canyon. The purpose of the Powell 150 Expedition is to inform and engage the public around the geology and ecology of rivers in general and this river system in

For Team D, this was our first morning on the river, putting-in at Split Mountain campground in Dinosaur Nat'l Monument. The whole group was very excited as none of the expedition members had ever rafted this section of the Green River.

Bill Burton with Paper Powell and (I think??) the first female geologist at USGS.

The sediment sampling project was intended to provide insight into the presence of microplastics in the Colorado River basin. Samples were collected at every campsite that had an adequate supply of sand.

In high-flow conditions, Team D took off from Split Mountain campground in 6 rafts. Split Mountain is shown in the background.

The Powell150 team’s boats stocked with gear and ready to set down the river.

Mitch Eaton pictured with “Paper Powell” just before embarking on his five-day journey on the Colorado River.

Biological Technician, Laura (Laney) White records data on Beaufort sea state and environmental conditions during a flight.

The Seabird Studies Team at the USGS Western Ecological Research Center is conducting aerial photographic surveys of the ocean off central and southern California to create comprehensive maps of seabird and marine mammal distributions.

Tildon Jones (Fish Biologist, USFWS) and Jim Prairie (hydro modeler, BOR) lecture to a public audience at Dinosaur the intricacies of the modern Adaptive Management Program for hydropower operation that considers the ecological needs of 3 endangered, endemic fish species in the Basin.

The Uinta Basin represents an area of high productivity for agriculture, ranching and fossil fuel exploration. Recreational activities such as rafting share this landscape with wildlife and industry.

USGS researchers are studying how enhancing moss growth may lead to improved practices to restore soil biocrusts. 

Tom, Tildon Jones (USFWS), and Jim Prairie (BoR) present at the Green River Campground for an "evening program" at Dinosaur National Monument. Many campers were in attendance, as were several deer across the river.

Looking at the route we would be taking the next day, we pondered what lay ahead. Vast, open country and lots of rocks were in our future.

Split Mountain Campground was the beginning of our jouney. We met up with the SCREE expedition in this cozy spot tucked beneath the imposing Split Mountains.

There was an educational outreach event to describe the fish conservation and Powell expedition involving SCREE and Bureau of Reclamation.

To make America’s economy and defense more secure, the Administration has released “A Federal Strategy to Ensure Secure and Reliable Supplies of Critical Minerals.” Among other roles, these minerals are vital to renewable energy infrastructure like solar panels, wind turbines, and batteries.

Solar Panels  |  Wind

Matt Kauffman, Unit Leader, USGS Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, second from left, works with Wyoming Game and Fish Department and University of Wyoming collaborators to release an elk fitted with a global positioning system (GPS) tracking collar.

Shovelnose sturegon. Understanding the

GLSC Hammond Bay Biological Station research was filmed by Voice of America (VOA) News on June 2-3, 2019. Clockwise from top right: VOA videographer, Ailin Li, interviewing Scott Miehls, USGS; live sea lamprey; videography team at the Ocqueoc River sea lamprey barrier and trap, (L-R) Nathan Allen, GLFC, Josh Benson, Andrea Miehls, GLFC/USGS, Ed Benzer, FWS, Ailin Li, VOA,

This DataVisualization shows the severity of flooding in the Midwest . As of June 1, 2019, 17 USGS streamgage sites in red had the highest streamflow for the entire period of record available. Both the Mississippi and the Arkansas rivers are seeing record breaking flows. USGS employees  continue to work extensively deploying equipment and making measurements of streamflow

Members of USGS Team B and paper Powell sharing a moment at the end of their 4-day river journey at the Gates of Lodore

USGS personnel are taking part in this year’s modern expedition that follows Powell’s 1869 journey; they are using 18-foot, inflatable, self-bailing rafts with rigging.

The scenic view of the Gates of Lodore from Brown's Park. The Green River through Brown's Park is very calm, slow moving water, with canyon walls and up ahead looms the scar where the river has eroded it's way down through the mountains.