Reports
Science Quality and Integrity
The USGS provides unbiased, objective, and impartial scientific information upon which our audiences, including resource managers, planners, and other entities, rely.
The USGS provides unbiased, objective, and impartial scientific information upon which our audiences, including resource managers, planners, and other entities, rely.
Browse more than 82,000 reports authored by our scientists over the past 100+ year history of the USGS and refine search by topic, location, year, and advanced search.
Filter Total Items: 84719
Groundwater assessment for petroleum hydrocarbon compounds associated with Fuels Area C, Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, 2014–18 Groundwater assessment for petroleum hydrocarbon compounds associated with Fuels Area C, Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, 2014–18
In 2013, the U.S. Geological Survey began a study in cooperation with the Defense Logistics Agency and the U.S. Air Force to estimate groundwater-flow direction, install groundwater monitoring wells, and collect soil and groundwater samples for petroleum hydrocarbon compounds to identify the presence of hydrocarbon contamination at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, specifically...
Authors
David A. Bender, Joel M. Galloway, Colton J. Medler
Forest area to support landbird population goals for the Mississippi Alluvial Valley Forest area to support landbird population goals for the Mississippi Alluvial Valley
Historically, the Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV) (Partners in Flight Bird Conservation Region #26) was predominantly bottomland hardwood forest, but natural vegetation has been cleared from about 80 percent of this ecoregion and converted primarily to agriculture. Because most bird species that are of conservation concern in this region are dependent on forested wetlands, bottomland...
Authors
Daniel J. Twedt, Anne Mini
Research, monitoring, and evaluation of emerging issues and measures to recover the Snake River Fall Chinook salmon ESU Research, monitoring, and evaluation of emerging issues and measures to recover the Snake River Fall Chinook salmon ESU
The portion of the Snake River fall Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha evolutionary significant unit (ESU) that spawns upstream of Lower Granite Dam transitioned from low to high abundance during 1992–2020 in response to U.S. Endangered Species Act recovery efforts and other federally mandated actions. This annual report focuses on changes in population abundance and habitat use by...
Authors
Kenneth Tiffan, Peter H. Barry, Dalton Hance, John Plumb, Brad Bickford, Tobyn Rhodes, Dalton Dirk Lebeda, Rulon J. Hemingway, Kenneth G. King, John Hargrove
Modeling at-sea density of marine birds to support renewable energy planning on the Pacific outer continental shelf of the contiguous United States Modeling at-sea density of marine birds to support renewable energy planning on the Pacific outer continental shelf of the contiguous United States
This report describes the at-sea spatial distributions of marine birds in Pacific OCS waters off the contiguous U.S. (Figure 1.1) to inform marine spatial planning in the region. The goal was to estimate long-term average spatial distributions for marine bird species using all available science-quality transect survey data and numerous bathymetric, oceanographic, and atmospheric...
Authors
Jeffery Leirness, Josh Adams, Lisa T Ballance, Michael Coyne, Jonathan J. Felis, Trevor Joyce, David M. Pereksta, Arliss J Winship, Christopher F G Jeffrey, David G. Ainley, Donald Croll, Joseph R. Evenson, Jaime Jahncke, William McIver, Peter I Miller, Scott Pearson, Craig Strong, William J. Sydeman, Jeannette E Waddell, Jeannette E. Zamon, John D. Christensen
Simulating the effort necessary to detect changes in northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) populations using passive acoustic monitoring Simulating the effort necessary to detect changes in northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) populations using passive acoustic monitoring
Passive acoustic monitoring is a promising method for monitoring rare and nocturnal species, and for tracking changes in forest wildlife biodiversity. We conducted simulations to compare and evaluate various passive acoustic sampling designs effectiveness for monitoring spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) population trends. We found that each design was effective for detecting a...
Authors
Damon B. Lesmeister, Cara L. Appel, Raymond J. Davis, Charles B. Yackulic, Zachary J. Ruff
The Everglades vulnerability analysis—Integrating ecological models and addressing uncertainty The Everglades vulnerability analysis—Integrating ecological models and addressing uncertainty
The Everglades vulnerability analysis (EVA) is a project led by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the National Park Service and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to accomplish one of the science goals of Restoration Coordination & Verification (RECOVER), a multiagency group responsible for providing scientific and technical evaluations and assessments for improving the ability of...
Authors
Laura E. D’Acunto, Stephanie S. Romanach, Saira M. Haider, Caitlin E. Hackett, Jennifer H. Nestler, Dilip Shinde, Leonard G. Pearlstine
Quality of groundwater used for domestic supply in the northern San Joaquin Valley, California Quality of groundwater used for domestic supply in the northern San Joaquin Valley, California
Groundwater provides more than 40 percent of California’s drinking water. To protect this vital resource, the State of California created the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The Priority Basin Project (PBP) of the GAMA Program provides a comprehensive assessment of the State’s groundwater quality and provides increased public access to groundwater-quality...
Authors
Zeno F. Levy, Mariia Balkan, Jennifer L. Shelton
Peak-flow variability, peak-flow informational needs, and consideration of regional regression analyses in managing the crest-stage gage network in Montana Peak-flow variability, peak-flow informational needs, and consideration of regional regression analyses in managing the crest-stage gage network in Montana
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT), has operated a crest-stage gage (CSG) network in Montana to collect peak-flow data since 1955. The CSG network is vital to collecting peak-flow data on small drainage basins that typically are not addressed by continuous streamflow operations. Discussions between USGS and MDT identified...
Authors
Steven K. Sando
Water priorities for the Nation—USGS Integrated Water Science basins Water priorities for the Nation—USGS Integrated Water Science basins
The United States faces growing challenges to its water supply, infrastructure, and aquatic ecosystems because of population growth, climate change, floods, and droughts. To help address these challenges, the U.S. Geological Survey Water Resources Mission Area is integrating recent advances in monitoring, research, and modeling to improve assessments of water availability throughout the...
Authors
Mark P. Miller, Sandra M. Eberts, Lori A. Sprague
U.S. Geological Survey science for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative—2018 annual report U.S. Geological Survey science for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative—2018 annual report
The Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI) was established in 2007 as a collaborative interagency partnership to develop and implement science-based conservation actions. During the past 11 years, partners from U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), State and Federal land management agencies, universities, and the public have collaborated to implement a long-term (more than 10 years)...
Authors
Patrick J. Anderson, Cameron L. Aldridge, Jason S. Alexander, Timothy J. Assal, Steven Aulenbach, Zachary H. Bowen, Anna D. Chalfoun, Geneva W. Chong, Holly Copeland, David R. Edmunds, Steve Germaine, Tabitha A. Graves, Julie A. Heinrichs, Collin G. Homer, Christopher Huber, Aaron N. Johnston, Matthew J. Kauffman, Daniel J. Manier, Ryan R. McShane, Cheryl A. Eddy-Miller, Kirk A. Miller, Adrian P. Monroe, Michael S. O’Donnell, Anna Ortega, Annika W. Walters, Daniel J. Wieferich, Teal B. Wyckoff, Linda Zeigenfuss
System characterization report on Planet’s Dove Classic System characterization report on Planet’s Dove Classic
Executive Summary This report addresses system characterization of Planet’s Dove Classic satellites and is part of a series of system characterization reports produced and delivered by the U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation and Science Cal/Val Center of Excellence. These reports present and detail the methodology and procedures for characterization; present technical and...
Authors
Minsu Kim, Seonkyung Park, Cody Anderson, Gregory L. Stensaas
Evaluation of factors affecting migration success of adult sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) in the Yakima River, Washington, 2020 Evaluation of factors affecting migration success of adult sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) in the Yakima River, Washington, 2020
A study was conducted during June–October 2020 to evaluate factors affecting the migration success of adult sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) in the Yakima River, Washington. A total of 144 adult sockeye salmon were tagged and released during the study. Most fish (112 fish) were collected, tagged with passive integrated transponder (PIT), and released at the mouth of the Yakima River...
Authors
Tobias J. Kock, Amy C. Hansen, Scott D. Evans, Richard Visser, Brian Saluskin, Andrew Matala, Paul Hoffarth