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Rocky Mountain Region

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Region 7: Upper Colorado Basin includes the States of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. USGS Science Centers conduct interdisciplinary research and monitoring related to natural resources, ecology, climate, and natural hazards. Data, analyses, and tools developed by USGS staff help stakeholders to make sustainable management decisions.

News

From Lake to Table: $3 Million Investment Helps Track Great Salt Lake's Future

From Lake to Table: $3 Million Investment Helps Track Great Salt Lake's Future

USGS awards $2.5 million to state geological surveys for mine waste projects

USGS awards $2.5 million to state geological surveys for mine waste projects

Trees in cities are beyond shady

Trees in cities are beyond shady

Publications

Database of surface water diversion sites and daily withdrawals for the upper Colorado River Basin, 1980–2022

The Colorado River drains about 8% of the conterminous United States, provides water for 40 million people, and is one of the most overallocated rivers in the world. As the upper Colorado River Basin (UCOL) contributes an estimated 92% of the total basin natural streamflow, knowledge of the location and amount of surface water withdrawals in the UCOL is important for managing the Colorado River sy
Authors
Samuel Francisco Lopez, Jacob E. Knight, Fred D. Tillman, Melissa D. Masbruch, Daniel Wise, Casey J.R. Jones, Matthew P. Miller

Brittle regime slip partitioned damage and deformation mechanisms along the eastern Denali fault zone in southwestern, Yukon

Rare bedrock exposures of the eastern Denali fault zone in southwestern Yukon allow for the measurement, sampling, and analyses of brittle regime fault slip data and deformation mechanisms to explore relations to far field, oblique plate motions. Host rock lithologies and associated slip surfaces show episodic damage zone‐related deformation and calcite ± hematite ± chlorite related hydrothermal f
Authors
Jonathan Caine, Omero F. Orlandini, Frederick W. Vollmer, Heather A. Lowers

Three-dimensional temperature maps of the Williston Basin, USA: Implications for deep hot sedimentary and enhanced geothermal resources

As part of U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) efforts to identify and assess geothermal energy resources of the US, a three-dimensional (3D) geologic and thermal model has been constructed for the Williston Basin, USA. The geologic model consists of all sedimentary units above the Proterozoic and Archean crystalline rock (called basement herein), with a total sedimentary thickness of up to 5 km near
Authors
Sarah E. Gelman, Erick R. Burns

Science

Developing habitat models for rare plants to inform decision making on multiple-use public lands

Public lands provide important habitat for many rare plants. However, public lands often need to accommodate many other uses, including traditional and renewable energy development, in addition to conservation. We are working with the Bureau of Land Management to coproduce ensemble habitat suitability models that can inform agency planning and permitting decisions that may impact rare plants.
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Developing habitat models for rare plants to inform decision making on multiple-use public lands

Public lands provide important habitat for many rare plants. However, public lands often need to accommodate many other uses, including traditional and renewable energy development, in addition to conservation. We are working with the Bureau of Land Management to coproduce ensemble habitat suitability models that can inform agency planning and permitting decisions that may impact rare plants.
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Developing a step-by-step process for assessing cumulative effects in the Bureau of Land Management

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires federal agencies to assess potential impacts of proposed actions as part of their decision-making processes. Assessing potential cumulative effects is a challenging component of NEPA analyses. The USGS is working with the Bureau of Land Management to develop a process that public land managers can use to strengthen cumulative effects analyses.
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Developing a step-by-step process for assessing cumulative effects in the Bureau of Land Management

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires federal agencies to assess potential impacts of proposed actions as part of their decision-making processes. Assessing potential cumulative effects is a challenging component of NEPA analyses. The USGS is working with the Bureau of Land Management to develop a process that public land managers can use to strengthen cumulative effects analyses.
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Modeling chronic wasting disease prevalence through time to investigate mechanisms of spread in deer and elk in Wyoming

Diseases are challenging to manage in wild ungulate populations, particularly when there are many ways the disease can spread. Wildlife management agencies often need to take action to control disease spread, but it is unclear which actions are most effective in constraining disease because the importance of different spread mechanisms is not fully understood. This project will aid state wildlife...
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Modeling chronic wasting disease prevalence through time to investigate mechanisms of spread in deer and elk in Wyoming

Diseases are challenging to manage in wild ungulate populations, particularly when there are many ways the disease can spread. Wildlife management agencies often need to take action to control disease spread, but it is unclear which actions are most effective in constraining disease because the importance of different spread mechanisms is not fully understood. This project will aid state wildlife...
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