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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.
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Physical and chemical stressors on algal, invertebrate, and fish communities in 14 Milwaukee area streams, 2004–2013 Physical and chemical stressors on algal, invertebrate, and fish communities in 14 Milwaukee area streams, 2004–2013
In 2004, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began sampling 14 wadable streams in urban or urbanizing watersheds near Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The overall goal of the study is to assess the health of the aquatic communities in the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District planning area to inform current and future watershed management. In addition to collection of biological data on aquatic...
Authors
Barbara C. Scudder Eikenberry, Michelle A. Nott, Jana S. Stewart, Daniel J. Sullivan, David A. Alvarez, Amanda H. Bell, Faith A. Fitzpatrick
Variable-density groundwater flow and contaminant transport, Operable Unit 1, Naval Base Kitsap, Keyport, Washington Variable-density groundwater flow and contaminant transport, Operable Unit 1, Naval Base Kitsap, Keyport, Washington
Chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) have migrated to groundwater beneath a former 9-acre landfill at Operable Unit 1 (OU-1) on Naval Base Kitsap, which was active from the 1930s through 1973 on the Keyport Peninsula, in Kitsap County, Washington. Biodegradation of CVOCs at OU-1 limits the mass of dissolved-phase CVOCs in groundwater that discharges to surface water, but...
Authors
Richard M. Yager, Wendy B. Welch, Alexander O. Headman, Richard S. Dinicola
Simulated effects of pumping in the Death Valley Regional Groundwater Flow System, Nevada and California—Selected management scenarios projected to 2120 Simulated effects of pumping in the Death Valley Regional Groundwater Flow System, Nevada and California—Selected management scenarios projected to 2120
Declining water levels and reduced natural discharge at springs, seeps, and phreatophyte areas primarily are the result of decades of groundwater development in the Death Valley regional flow system, in Nevada and California. A calibrated groundwater-flow model was used to simulate potential future effects of groundwater pumping on water levels and natural groundwater discharge in the...
Authors
Nora C. Nelson, Tracie R. Jackson
Estimated groundwater withdrawals from principal aquifers in the United States, 2015 Estimated groundwater withdrawals from principal aquifers in the United States, 2015
In 2015, about 84,600 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) of groundwater were withdrawn in the United States for various uses including public supply, self-supplied domestic, industrial, mining, thermoelectric power, aquaculture, livestock, and irrigation. Of this total, about 94 percent (79,200 Mgal/d) was withdrawn from principal aquifers, which are defined as regionally extensive...
Authors
John K. Lovelace, Martha G. Nielsen, Amy L. Read, Chid J. Murphy, Molly A. Maupin
Delineation of flood-inundation areas in Grapevine Canyon near Scotty’s Castle, Death Valley National Park, California Delineation of flood-inundation areas in Grapevine Canyon near Scotty’s Castle, Death Valley National Park, California
On October 18, 2015, a large flood caused considerable damage in Grapevine Canyon near Death Valley Scotty Historic District, in Death Valley National Park, California. Significant channel changes had limited the applicability of previously created flood-inundation maps to current conditions. Predicted flood-inundation maps for Scotty’s Castle were updated using one-dimensional hydraulic...
Authors
Christopher M. Morris, Toby L. Welborn, J. Toby Minear
Aquifer transmissivity in Nassau, Queens, and Kings Counties, New York, estimated from specific-capacity tests at production wells Aquifer transmissivity in Nassau, Queens, and Kings Counties, New York, estimated from specific-capacity tests at production wells
As part of a cooperative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to evaluate the sustainability of Long Island’s sole-source aquifer system, the transmissivities of four aquifers were estimated from specific-capacity tests at 447 production wells in Nassau, Queens, and Kings Counties on Long Island, New York. The specific...
Authors
John Williams, Madison Woodley, Jason S. Finkelstein
Geologic and mineral map (modified from the 1975 original map compilation by A.S. Shadchinev and others) and hyperspectral surface materials maps of the Ghorband, Salang, and Panjsher River Basins; Kapisa, Panjsher, Parwan, and Baghlan Provinces, Afghanis Geologic and mineral map (modified from the 1975 original map compilation by A.S. Shadchinev and others) and hyperspectral surface materials maps of the Ghorband, Salang, and Panjsher River Basins; Kapisa, Panjsher, Parwan, and Baghlan Provinces, Afghanis
Introduction The geologic map and cross sections are a redrafted and modified version of the Geologic map and map of mineral resources of the basins of Ghorband, Salang, and Panjsher; located in the Kapisa, Panjsher, Parwan, and Baghlan Provinces, Afghanistan. The original map and cross sections are contained in an unpublished Soviet report no. 1162A (Shadchinev and others, 1975)...
Development of a suite of functional immune assays and initial assessment of their utility in wild smallmouth bass health assessments Development of a suite of functional immune assays and initial assessment of their utility in wild smallmouth bass health assessments
Methods were developed for measuring immune function in Micropterus dolomieu (smallmouth bass). The ultimate objective is to monitor and evaluate changes over time in immune status and disease resistance in conjunction with other characteristics of fish health and environmental stressors. To test these methods for utility in ecotoxicological studies, 192 smallmouth bass, age 2 years and...
Authors
Cheyenne R. Smith, Christopher A. Ottinger, Heather L. Walsh, Vicki S. Blazer
Estimating flood magnitude and frequency on streams and rivers in Connecticut, based on data through water year 2015 Estimating flood magnitude and frequency on streams and rivers in Connecticut, based on data through water year 2015
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Connecticut Department of Transportation, updated flood-frequency estimates with 50-, 20-, 10-, 4-, 2-, 1-, 0.5-, and 0.2-percent annual exceedance probabilities (2-, 5-, 10-, 25-, 50-, 100-, 200-, and 500-year recurrence intervals, respectively) for 141 streamgages in Connecticut and 11 streamgages in adjacent States using annual peak...
Authors
Elizabeth A. Ahearn, Glenn A. Hodgkins
Transmissivity estimated from brief aquifer tests of domestic wells and compared with bedrock lithofacies and position on hillsides in the Appalachian Plateau of New York Transmissivity estimated from brief aquifer tests of domestic wells and compared with bedrock lithofacies and position on hillsides in the Appalachian Plateau of New York
Procedures for undertaking and analyzing recovery from aquifer tests of 13 to 132 seconds (described in reports cited herein) were applied to 51 domestic drilled wells that penetrated bedrock outside major valleys in the part of the Appalachian Plateau of New York drained by the Susquehanna River. Transmissivities calculated from these tests ranged over three orders of magnitude in both...
Authors
Allan D. Randall, Andrew C. Mills
A clarification on the effects of urbanization on Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) habitat selection A clarification on the effects of urbanization on Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) habitat selection
Introduction In 2018, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) published an Open-File Report (Tracey and others, 2018) presenting a Bayesian habitat selection model for golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) in San Diego County, California. The model used telemetry data to examine the effects of urban development, exurban development, and topography (characterized by a topographic position index and...
Authors
Jeff A. Tracey, Melanie C. Madden, Peter H. Bloom, Robert N. Fisher
The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Brewer’s Sparrow (Spizella breweri breweri) The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Brewer’s Sparrow (Spizella breweri breweri)
Keys to Brewer’s Sparrow (Spizella breweri breweri) management include maintaining extensive, unfragmented patches of suitable breeding habitat; reducing conifer cover and height; preventing the invasion of conifers and nonnative plants, especially cheatgrass (downy brome [Bromus tectorum]); minimizing disturbance to soil; and restricting the use of pesticides and herbicides during the...
Authors
Brett L. Walker, Lawrence D. Igl, Jill A. Shaffer