Managing the world’s freshwater ecosystems including lakes, rivers, and springs, and the water they supply to meet environmental and societal needs in a changing climate is one of the biggest challenges for the 21st century.
Fresh waters are one of the most valuable and threatened resources worldwide. They supply critical services to society and harbor many of the world’s most imperiled species. From seasonal pools to the Great Lakes, freshwater systems play many important roles in the environment such as water purification, providing water for vegetation, and flood prevention. As habitat, wetlands support more than fish, amphibians, and waterfowl. Wetlands provide critical resources for species ranging from moose to bats, and beavers to butterflies.
Oftentimes there is no stark boundary between aquatic and terrestrial systems, and animals, nutrients, and even pollution move freely between them. Rivers also connect the terrestrial landscapes to offshore marine systems. USGS scientists conduct research on the structure and function of aquatic ecosystems; efficacy of various management, conservation, and restoration practices, and how the uses of aquatic ecosystems affect the watershed and its biodiversity.
Freshwater Research
Exploring the Potential for Conservation Lands in Middle Mississippi River Floodplains to Mitigate Flood Flows for Ecosystem Services
Amphibian Research and Occupancy Modeling in the South-Central Region of the Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI)
Nutrient cycling in agricultural watersheds of the Great Lakes
Missouri River Recovery Implementation Committee (MRRIC) and Adaptive Management
Quantifying ecosystem services provided by depressional wetlands in the Upper Mississippi
Ecological Structure and Function, Large-River Floodplains
Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI)
Climate and Aquatic Ecosystems
Amphibian Research in Southern California
Distribution and Controls Over Habitat and Food Web Structures and Processes in Great Lakes Estuaries
River Productivity
Aquatic Ecology and Contaminants
Recent data (2020-2022) related to USGS freshwater research is listed below. A complete listing of USGS freshwater data is available from the button below.
Potential landward migration of coastal wetlands in response to sea-level rise within estuarine drainage areas and coastal states of the conterminous United States
Modeling impacts of drought-induced salinity intrusion on carbon fluxes and storage in tidal freshwater forested wetlands
February 2020 National Wetlands Inventory, Mississippi Barrier Islands Habitat Classification: (Cat Island, Ship Island, Petit Bois Island and Horn Island)
Naomi Outfall Management (BA-0003c), Barataria Bay Waterway East Side Shoreline Protection (BA-0026), and Naomi Freshwater Diversion (BA-0003): 2018 land-water classification
Ecological Model Support for the Western Everglades Restoration Project (WERP) Round One of Four, 2018
Ecological Model Support for the Western Everglades Restoration Project (WERP) Round Two of Four, 2018
Ecological Model Support for the Western Everglades Restoration Project (WERP) Round Three of Four, 2019
Ecological Model Support for the Western Everglades Restoration Project (WERP) Round Four of Four, 2020
Above- and belowground biomass production, decomposition, and wetland elevation change in transitional coastal wetland communities exposed to elevated CO2 and sediment deposition: a mesocosm study from 2012 to 2014
Hydraulic measurements from select reaches of the Big River, Missouri
Simulated Methane and Nitrous Oxide Emissions under Drought-induced Saltwater Intrusion in Tidal Freshwater Forested Wetlands
Freshwater Introduction South of Highway 82 (ME-16): 2018 Land-Water Classification
Recent publications (2020-2022) related to USGS freshwater research are listed below. A complete listing of USGS freshwater publications is available from the button below.
Sixty years of channel adjustments to dams in the two segments of the Missouri National Recreational River, South Dakota and Nebraska
Quality assurance report for Loch Vale Watershed, 2010–19
Diminishing Arctic lakes
Classifying mixing regimes in ponds and shallow lakes
Migration and transformation of coastal wetlands in response to rising seas
Modeling impacts of drought-induced salinity intrusion on carbon dynamics in tidal freshwater forested wetlands
Parks look for ways to alleviate Glen Canyon Dam’s dramatic downstream impacts
Characterizing mauka-to-makai connections for aquatic ecosystem conservation on Maui, Hawaiʻi
Turbidity and estimated phosphorus retention in a reconnected Lake Erie coastal wetland
Can coastal habitats rise to the challenge? Resilience of estuarine habitats, carbon accumulation, and economic value to sea-level rise in a Puget Sound estuary
Prairie wetlands as sources or sinks of nitrous oxide: Effects of land use and hydrology
Topographic controls on ice flow and recession for Juneau Icefield (Alaska/British Columbia)
- Overview
Managing the world’s freshwater ecosystems including lakes, rivers, and springs, and the water they supply to meet environmental and societal needs in a changing climate is one of the biggest challenges for the 21st century.
Fresh waters are one of the most valuable and threatened resources worldwide. They supply critical services to society and harbor many of the world’s most imperiled species. From seasonal pools to the Great Lakes, freshwater systems play many important roles in the environment such as water purification, providing water for vegetation, and flood prevention. As habitat, wetlands support more than fish, amphibians, and waterfowl. Wetlands provide critical resources for species ranging from moose to bats, and beavers to butterflies.
Oftentimes there is no stark boundary between aquatic and terrestrial systems, and animals, nutrients, and even pollution move freely between them. Rivers also connect the terrestrial landscapes to offshore marine systems. USGS scientists conduct research on the structure and function of aquatic ecosystems; efficacy of various management, conservation, and restoration practices, and how the uses of aquatic ecosystems affect the watershed and its biodiversity.
Freshwater ResearchFilter Total Items: 13Exploring the Potential for Conservation Lands in Middle Mississippi River Floodplains to Mitigate Flood Flows for Ecosystem Services
Reconnection of floodplains to their rivers has been considered a fundamentally beneficial ecological practice.Amphibian Research and Occupancy Modeling in the South-Central Region of the Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI)
In response to growing public concerns about this loss of biodiversity, the U.S. Congress funded the Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI), a national program coordinated by the U.S. Geological Survey.Nutrient cycling in agricultural watersheds of the Great Lakes
Nutrient Cycling in Aquatic Ecosystems Nutrients lost from agricultural areas in watersheds of the Great Lakes cause harmful algal blooms and hypoxia in some areas of the Great Lakes. Substantial efforts are being made in these watersheds to reduce the amount of nutrients entering the streams and rivers; however, additional work is needed to further reduce nutrient loads to meet international...Missouri River Recovery Implementation Committee (MRRIC) and Adaptive Management
This project centers on assimilation of data, interpretation of results, updating quantitative models, and providing policy-neutral, high-quality information to the agencies and stakeholders in the Missouri River Basin.Quantifying ecosystem services provided by depressional wetlands in the Upper Mississippi
Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center has conducted multiple research efforts related to developing methodology for quantifying the environmental and societal services provided by prairie-pothole wetland ecosystems. In this effort, we are exploring the feasibility of applying methodologies similar to those developed wetland ecosystems within the Prairie Pothole Region to other landscapes where...Ecological Structure and Function, Large-River Floodplains
This project seeks to develop tools and datasets that provide insights to the common ground between flood-risk reduction and ecosystem services on large-river floodplains of the Central United States. Floodplains of large rivers are valued for their agricultural productivity and development potential, but recent floods have demonstrated the high costs and lack of resiliency when floodplains are...Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI)
The President's 2010 Budget provided $475 million for a new interagency Great Lakes restoration initiative, which targets the most significant problems in the region, including invasive aquatic species (like zebra and quagga mussels), non-point source pollution, and contaminated sediment. This initiative uses outcome-oriented performance goals and measures to target the most significant problems...Climate and Aquatic Ecosystems
Effects of changing climate on aquatic ecosystems requires understanding a complex series of interactions between terrestrial climates, their corresponding impacts on hydrological processes, and ultimately a suite of biological responses. These uncertainties stand in contrast to the urgent need for reliable information to be used in developing long-term strategies for climate adaptation to...Amphibian Research in Southern California
Amphibian populations have declined in many areas around the world. Initially, there was skepticism as to whether the observed declines were merely minor population fluctuations, but it has become increasingly clear that many declines are both real and sustained. At the request of the U.S. Department of the Interior, USGS Western Ecological Research Center (WERC) scientists are supporting the...Distribution and Controls Over Habitat and Food Web Structures and Processes in Great Lakes Estuaries
Rivermouth ecosystems, or freshwater estuaries, are the focus of human and wildlife interactions with the Great Lakes. They are highly valued as the region’s urban, industrial, shipping and recreational centers; and home to recreational harbors, wildlife viewing and production, beaches and urban riverfronts. Rivermouths are also both the mixing zones where nutrients from upstream watersheds are...River Productivity
Biological production represents the total amount of living material (biomass) that was produced during a defined period of time. This production is important because some of it is used for food and some is valued for recreation, it is a direct measure of total ecosystem processes, and it sustains biological diversity. Production is a measure of energy flow, and is therefore a natural currency for...Aquatic Ecology and Contaminants
The Aquatic Ecology and Contaminants Team investigates critical ecological processes operating in aquatic and riparian ecosystems and how these processes are affected by human activities. We address questions through a combination of field studies, laboratory experiments, and modeling, while working at multiple levels of biological organization from cells through ecosystems. Topics include land... - Data
Recent data (2020-2022) related to USGS freshwater research is listed below. A complete listing of USGS freshwater data is available from the button below.
Filter Total Items: 16Potential landward migration of coastal wetlands in response to sea-level rise within estuarine drainage areas and coastal states of the conterminous United States
We quantified the potential area available for landward migration of tidal saline wetlands and freshwater wetlands due to sea-level rise (SLR) at the estuary scale for 166 estuarine drainage areas and at the state scale for 22 coastal states and District of Columbia. We used 2016 Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP) data in combination with the future wetland migration data under the 1.5 m globModeling impacts of drought-induced salinity intrusion on carbon fluxes and storage in tidal freshwater forested wetlands
A biogeochemistry model was developed to examine plant gross primary productivity (GPP), net primary productivity (NPP), plant respiration, soil respiration, soil organic carbon sequestration rate and storage under scenarios of drought and normal conditions at Tidal Freshwater Forested Wetlands (TFFW) sites along the Waccamaw River and Savannah River in the Southeastern United States.February 2020 National Wetlands Inventory, Mississippi Barrier Islands Habitat Classification: (Cat Island, Ship Island, Petit Bois Island and Horn Island)
This data set consists of digital data describing wetlands and uplands habitats for the Mississippi Coastal Improvements Program (MsCIP) area, consisting of Cat, Ship, Horn and Petit Bois Islands for the year 2020. Wetlands were classified using the Cowardin, et al., wetlands classification scheme to the level of freshwater and tidal, salinity modifiers. Uplands were classified using a customizedNaomi Outfall Management (BA-0003c), Barataria Bay Waterway East Side Shoreline Protection (BA-0026), and Naomi Freshwater Diversion (BA-0003): 2018 land-water classification
The Louisiana State Legislature created the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) in order to conserve, restore, create and enhance Louisiana's coastal wetlands. The wetland restoration plans developed pursuant to these acts specifically require an evaluation of the effectiveness of each coastal wetlands restoration project in achieving long-term solutions to arrestingEcological Model Support for the Western Everglades Restoration Project (WERP) Round One of Four, 2018
Ecological models facilitate evaluation and assessment of alternative approaches to restore the Greater Everglades ecosystem. However, the provision of useful and accessible models is a challenge because there is often a disconnect between model output and its use by decision makers. Joint Ecosystem Modeling (JEM) meets this challenge by providing ecological model output tailored to management decEcological Model Support for the Western Everglades Restoration Project (WERP) Round Two of Four, 2018
Ecological models facilitate evaluation and assessment of alternative approaches to restore the Greater Everglades ecosystem. However, the provision of useful and accessible models is a challenge because there is often a disconnect between model output and its use by decision makers. Joint Ecosystem Modeling (JEM) meets this challenge by providing ecological model output tailored to management decEcological Model Support for the Western Everglades Restoration Project (WERP) Round Three of Four, 2019
Ecological models facilitate evaluation and assessment of alternative approaches to restore the Greater Everglades ecosystem. However, the provision of useful and accessible models is a challenge because there is often a disconnect between model output and its use by decision makers. Joint Ecosystem Modeling (JEM) meets this challenge by providing ecological model output tailored to management decEcological Model Support for the Western Everglades Restoration Project (WERP) Round Four of Four, 2020
Ecological models facilitate evaluation and assessment of alternative approaches to restore the Greater Everglades ecosystem. However, the provision of useful and accessible models is a challenge because there is often a disconnect between model output and its use by decision makers. Joint Ecosystem Modeling (JEM) meets this challenge by providing ecological model output tailored to management decAbove- and belowground biomass production, decomposition, and wetland elevation change in transitional coastal wetland communities exposed to elevated CO2 and sediment deposition: a mesocosm study from 2012 to 2014
This data release includes belowground primary productivity, decomposition, and surface elevation change data from a two-year mesocosm experiment from 2012 to 2014. We conducted experimental greenhouse manipulations of atmospheric CO2 (double ambient CO2) and sediment deposition to simulate a land-falling hurricane under future climate conditions. Experimental greenhouse conditions mimicked a landHydraulic measurements from select reaches of the Big River, Missouri
This data release contains river bed surface grain size measurements, water-surface elevation measurements, and digital elevation models (DEMs) for select reaches of the Big River, Missouri. These data were collected in support of research assessing the hydraulic conditions of freshwater mussel habitat in the Big River. The individual metadata associated with each data type describe the process stSimulated Methane and Nitrous Oxide Emissions under Drought-induced Saltwater Intrusion in Tidal Freshwater Forested Wetlands
This dataset contains the result of simulated daily emissions of methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) from the soils in Tidal Freshwater Forested Wetlands (TFFW) along the Waccamaw River (SC, USA) and the Savannah River (GA and SC, USA) under drought-induced saltwater intrusion using a process-driven biogeochemistry model.Freshwater Introduction South of Highway 82 (ME-16): 2018 Land-Water Classification
The Louisiana State Legislature created the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) in order to conserve, restore, create and enhance Louisiana's coastal wetlands. The wetland restoration plans developed pursuant to these acts specifically require an evaluation of the effectiveness of each coastal wetlands restoration project in achieving long-term solutions to arresting - Publications
Recent publications (2020-2022) related to USGS freshwater research are listed below. A complete listing of USGS freshwater publications is available from the button below.
Filter Total Items: 85Sixty years of channel adjustments to dams in the two segments of the Missouri National Recreational River, South Dakota and Nebraska
The Missouri National Recreational River (MNRR) consists of two Missouri River segments managed by the National Park Service on the border of South Dakota and Nebraska. Both river segments are unchannelized and maintain much of their pre-dam channel form, but upstream dams have caused reductions in peak flow magnitudes and sediment supply. The 39-mile segment is located between Fort Randall and GaAuthorsCaroline M. Elliott, Robert B. JacobsonQuality assurance report for Loch Vale Watershed, 2010–19
The Loch Vale Watershed Research and Monitoring Program collects long-term datasets of ecological and biogeochemical parameters in Rocky Mountain National Park to support both (1) management of this protected area and (2) research into watershed-scale ecosystem processes as those processes respond to atmospheric deposition and climate variability. The program collects data on precipitation depth aAuthorsTimothy Weinmann, Jill S. Baron, Amanda JayoDiminishing Arctic lakes
The Arctic is home to the largest surface water fraction of any terrestrial biome, containing thousands of low-lying lakes. Now, it appears that some Arctic lakes are drying due to rising air temperatures and autumn rains, causing permafrost to thaw and water bodies to drain.AuthorsRebecca A Finger-HiggensClassifying mixing regimes in ponds and shallow lakes
Lakes are classified by thermal mixing regimes, with shallow waterbodies historically categorized as continuously mixing systems. Yet, recent studies demonstrate extended summertime stratification in ponds, underscoring the need to reassess thermal classifications for shallow waterbodies. In this study, we examined the summertime thermal dynamics of 34 ponds and shallow lakes across temperate NortAuthorsMeredith Holgerson, David Richardson, Joseph Roith, Lauren E Bortolotti, Kerri Finlay, Daniel J. Hornbach, Kshitij Gurung, Andrew Ness, Mikkel R. Andersen, Sheel Bansal, Jacques Finlay, Jacob Cianci-Gaskill, Shannon Hahn, Benjamin Janke, Cory P. McDonald, Jorrit Mesman, Rebecca L. North, Cassandra Roberts, Jon N. Sweetman, Jackie WebbMigration and transformation of coastal wetlands in response to rising seas
Coastal wetlands are not only among the world’s most valued ecosystems but also among the most threatened by high greenhouse gas emissions that lead to accelerated sea level rise. There is intense debate regarding the extent to which landward migration of wetlands might compensate for seaward wetland losses. By integrating data from 166 estuaries across the conterminous United States, we show thatAuthorsMichael Osland, Bogdan Chivoiu, Nicholas Enwright, Karen M. Thorne, Glenn R. Guntenspergen, James Grace, Leah Dale, William Brooks, Nathaniel Herold, John W. Day, Fred H. Sklar, Christopher M. SwarzenskiModeling impacts of drought-induced salinity intrusion on carbon dynamics in tidal freshwater forested wetlands
Tidal freshwater forested wetlands (TFFW) provide critical ecosystem services including essential habitat for a variety of wildlife species and significant carbon sinks for atmospheric carbon dioxide. However, large uncertainties remain concerning the impacts of climate change on the magnitude and variability of carbon fluxes and storage across a range of TFFW. In this study, we developed a procesAuthorsHongqing Wang, Zhaohua Dai, Carl C. Trettin, Ken Krauss, Gregory B. Noe, Andrew J. Burton, Camille Stagg, Eric WardParks look for ways to alleviate Glen Canyon Dam’s dramatic downstream impacts
Introduction Regardless of the location, time of day, or season, the grandeur of Grand Canyon National Park and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area inspires awe. Visitors can reflect on the sunlit colors of the towering canyon walls or witness the vibrant, golden display of Fremont cottonwood leaves each fall. For millions of years, the Colorado River has sculpted canyon country; for thousands ofAuthorsLonnie Pilkington, Joel B. Sankey, Dan Boughter, Taryn Preston, Cam C. ProphetCharacterizing mauka-to-makai connections for aquatic ecosystem conservation on Maui, Hawaiʻi
Mauka-to-makai (mountain to sea in the Hawaiian language) hydrologic connectivity – commonly referred to as ridge-to-reef – directly affects biogeochemical processes and socioecological functions across terrestrial, freshwater, and marine systems. The supply of freshwater to estuarine and nearshore environments in a ridge-to-reef system supports the food, water, and habitats utilized by marine fauAuthorsElla Wilmot, Jesse P. Wong, Yinphan Tsang, Abigail Lynch, Dana M. Infante, Kirsten L. L. Oleson, Ayron Strauch, Hannah ClilverdTurbidity and estimated phosphorus retention in a reconnected Lake Erie coastal wetland
Nearly all of the wetlands in the coastal zone of Lake Erie have been degraded or destroyed since the 1860s, and most of those that remain are separated from their watersheds by earthen dikes. Hydrologic isolation of these wetlands disrupts ecosystem benefits typical to Great Lakes coastal wetlands, particularly the ability to trap sediments and retain nutrients when inundated by runoff and lake wAuthorsGlenn Carter, Kurt P. Kowalski, Michael EgglestonCan coastal habitats rise to the challenge? Resilience of estuarine habitats, carbon accumulation, and economic value to sea-level rise in a Puget Sound estuary
Sea-level rise (SLR) and obstructions to sediment delivery pose challenges to the persistence of estuarine habitats and the ecosystem services they provide. Restoration actions and sediment management strategies may help mitigate such challenges by encouraging the vertical accretion of sediment in and horizontal migration of tidal forests and marshes. We used a process-based soil accretion model (AuthorsMonica Mei Jeen Moritsch, Kristin B. Byrd, Melanie J. Davis, Anthony J. Good, Judith Z. Drexler, James T. Morris, Isa Woo, Lisamarie Windham-Myers, Eric E. Grossman, Glynnis Nakai, Katrina L. Poppe, John M. RybczykPrairie wetlands as sources or sinks of nitrous oxide: Effects of land use and hydrology
National and global greenhouse gas (GHG) budgets are continually being refined as data become available. Primary sources of the potent GHG nitrous oxide (N2O) include agricultural soil management and burning of fossil fuels, but comprehensive N2O budgets also incorporate less prominent factors such as wetlands. Freshwater wetland GHG flux estimates, however, have high uncertainty, and wetlands havAuthorsBrian Tangen, Sheel BansalTopographic controls on ice flow and recession for Juneau Icefield (Alaska/British Columbia)
Globally, mountain glaciers and ice caps are losing dramatic volumes of ice. The resultant sea-level rise is dominated by contributions from Alaska. Plateau icefields may be especially sensitive to climate change due to the non-linear controls their topography imparts on their response to climate change. However, Alaskan plateau icefields have been subject to little structural glaciological or regAuthorsBethan Davies, Jacob Bendle, Jonathan Carrivick, Robert McNabb, Christopher J. McNeil, Mauri Pelto, Seth Campbell, Tom Holt, Jeremy Ely, Bradley Markle