Multimedia Gallery

Green stagnant waters fill this drainage ditch that lies in front of an orange
grove located in the vicinity of Lake Okeechobee.

Seen beyond the dirt road are smooth, green grasses of a turf farm located in
the vicinity of Lake Okeechobee.

Cattle grazing north of Lake Okeechobee, where cattle ranching and farming is
extensive.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineer personnel overlooks the closing of the lakeside
gates at the Port Mayaca Navigational Lock. Lake Okeechobee is in the
background.

With canal-side gates closed behind them and the Lake Okeechobee lakeside
gates open before them, a boater slowly exits from the Port Mayaca
Navigational Lock.

Looking eastward from the middle of the Port Mayaca Dam, at the St. Lucie
Canal, which connects to Lake Okeechobee.

On the Lake Okeechobee side of Control Structure S-191, double-crested
cormorants rest atop the buoys and wooden posts. Lake Okeechobee is seen
to the right.

Canal 59 in the foreground and Control Structure S-191, which controls water
flow into Lake Okeechobee.

Looking through the rows of an orange grove located in the vicinity of Lake
Okeechobee.

Groundwater sampling on Long Island

A polar bear den

Long Island core samples

Analytical Profile Index (API) for microorganism identification.

Groundwater sampling for water quality on Long Island, New York

Kristen Hamilton at the Powell 150 Table.

Minerals of the World Booth

Map of study area, Yucca Valley, California.

How Ground Water Occurs

It is difficult to visualize water underground. Some people believe that ground water collects in underground lakes or flows in underground rivers. In fact, ground water is simply the subsurface water that fully saturates pores or cracks in soils and rocks.

Fine-grained sediments (clays and silts) within an aquifer system are the main culprits in land subsidence due to groundwater pumping. Fine-grained sediments are special because they are composed of platy grains. When fine-grained sediments are originally deposited, they tend to be deposited in random orientations. These randomly oriented sediment grains have a lot of room

Modeling integrates information to estimate risks of nitrate contamination to shallow ground water

One USGS model, based on nationwide data, was developed to estimate the risk of nitrate contamination to shallow ground water across the United States.(30) The model integrates nitrogen inputs and aquifer vulnerability by use of Geographic Information

At the end of the boardwalk behind the Briggs Nature Center at Rookery Bay
National Estuarine Research Reserve, clusters of magenta fruits surround the
stems of this American beauty berry shrub.

Looking from an observation deck, at Rookery Bay National Estuarine
Research Reserve, onto a flock of birds resting in a brackish (somewhat salty)
pond community. Mangrove islands grow inside and along the edges of the
pond.

A great white heron standing atop a dock in Florida Bay.

A short walk through the shallow mangrove perimeter to the interior of Bob Allen Key affords this view of a mostly clear, shallow ponded area.

Looking south from the Black Betsy Keys shore, onto waters of Florida Bay. On the horizon, Key islands separate the green bay waters from the blue cloud-filled skies.

Looking south from Little Madeira Bay at a line of Key islands in Florida Bay.

Red mangroves and their root systems at the edge of Shell Key, in Florida Bay.

An osprey sitting in its nest atop a channel marker in Florida Bay.

A great white heron standing atop the mangrove roots of Boggy Key; a Florida Key island.

A close-up view of a mangrove islet of the Florida Keys, south of Boggy Key.

Looking through a channel between the mangrove tree Florida Key islands, south of Boggy Key.

An alligator hides partially submerged in the grassy waters-edge of Taylor
Slough at Everglades National Park.

A double-crested cormorant rests nearby the ponded Taylor Slough waters at
Everglades National Park.

Looking out over Taylor Slough sawgrass marsh at Everglades National Park,
with tree islands seen in the background.

A purple gallinule stands atop the spatterdock at Everglades National Park.

A female anhinga roosts in the trees at Everglades National Park.

Budding spatterdocks are seen floating atop the Taylor Slough waters at
Everglades National Park.

Long Pine Key in Everglades National Park contains a pine forest community
indicative of the original pine forests of Florida.

A butterfly pea vine flowering in the sandy soils of Long Pine Key at Everglades
National Park.

Looking down from the Pa-hay-okee boardwalk at Everglades National Park,
snail shells litter the grassy water's surface.

Looking down from the Mahogany Hammock boardwalk at Everglades National Park, periphyton is abundant in the watery seagrass.

Looking from the Mahogany Hammock boardwalk at Everglades National Park, hammocks interrupt the flat sawgrass expanse.

Mangroves frame the west and east sides of the main park road of Everglades National Park, just north of Mrazek Pond

Trumpet-shaped flower of the morning glory vine blooms year round at Everglades National Park.

A red-shouldered hawk roosts in the lush greenery at Everglades National Park.

An immature white ibis poses on the rail as moorhens swim in the background waters of Eco Pond, at Everglades National Park.

A little blue heron foraging in the waters of Eco Pond, at Everglades National Park.