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Dakota Water Science Center: Hydrology, cooperation, and diversity in data collection for the Missouri, Souris, and Red River Basins including focusing on emerging environmental issues. Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center conducts applied research supporting policy and management decisions for partners on vulnerable prairie grassland and wetland ecosystems of global importance.
News
Do you eat fruits and vegetables? What about nuts? If so, you can thank an insect pollinator, usually a honey bee. These small insects play a major role in pollinating the world’s plants, including those we eat regularly. They also increase our nation’s crop values each year by more than 15 billion dollars.
March 6-8, 2018 at the National Energy Center of Excellence located on the campus of Bismarck State College in Bismarck, ND.
The public is invited to attend a free, family-friendly open house at a local U.S. Geological Survey center for ecology research on Saturday, September 16.
Publications
Petrology and diagenetic history of the upper shale member of the Late Devonian-Early Mississippian Bakken Formation, Williston Basin, North Dakota
The organic-rich upper shale member of the upper Devonian–lower Mississippian Bakken Formation (Williston Basin, North Dakota, USA) has undergone significant diagenetic alteration, irrespective of catagenesis related to hydrocarbon generation. Alteration includes precipitation of numerous cements, replacement of both detrital and authigenic...
Neil S. Fishman; Sven O. Egenhoff; Boehlke, Adam; Lowers, Heather A. Quality and age of shallow groundwater in the Bakken Formation production area, Williston Basin, Montana and North Dakota
The quality and age of shallow groundwater in the Bakken Formation production area were characterized using data from 30 randomly distributed domestic wells screened in the upper Fort Union Formation. Comparison of inorganic and organic chemical concentrations to health based drinking-water standards, correlation analysis of concentrations with...
McMahon, Peter B.; Caldwell, Rodney R.; Galloway, Joel M.; Valder, Joshua F.; Hunt, Andrew G.
Chemical and morphological comparison of erionite from Oregon, North Dakota, and Turkey
Erionite, a fibrous zeolite, occurs in pediment gravel deposits near Killdeer Mountain, North Dakota. Material from these pediment deposits has been excavated for use as roadbed throughout Dunn County, North Dakota. Erionite also occurs in the Cappadocian region of Turkey, where a link between malignant mesothelioma and inhalation of this mineral...
Lowers, Heather; Adams, David T.; Meeker, Gregory P.; Nutt, Constance J.
Land Treatment Exploration Tool
The Land Treatment ExplorationTool provides a practical resource for managers who are planning restoration and rehabilitation actions on public lands. The tool generates a variety of spatial products while being user friendly for all levels of GIS expertise, even to those with little or no experience.
Bird Banding Laboratory
The Bird Banding Laboratory (BBL) is an integrated scientific program established in 1920 supporting the collection, archiving, management and dissemination of information from banded and marked birds in North America. This information is used to monitor the status and trends of resident and migratory bird populations. Because birds are good indicators of the health of the environment, the...
Williston and Powder River Basins Groundwater Availability Study
The development of two nationally important energy-producing areas, the Williston structural basin (containing the Bakken Formation) and Powder River structural basin, provide a critical opportunity to study the water-energy nexus within a groundwater context. Large volumes of water are needed for energy development in these basins. The hydraulically connected aquifers in the...
Yellowstone River Basin Water-Quality Assessment
The Yellowstone River Basin (YELL) study-unit in Wyoming, Montana and North Dakota, is part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. The long-term goals of this program are to describe the status and trends in the quality of a large, representative part of the Nation's surface- and ground-water resources, and to provide a sound, scientific...
Streamflow Statistics for Unregulated and Regulated Conditions for Selected Locations on the Yellowstone, Tongue, Powder, and Bighorn Rivers, Montana
Major floods in 1996-1997 on the Yellowstone River intensified public debate over the effects of human activities on the Yellowstone River. The Yellowstone River Conservation District Council partnered with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a cumulative-effects study on the Yellowstone. For that study, the USGS calculated streamflow statistics for unregulated (no development) and...
Mining and Energy
Scientists are examining a number of issues to characterize potential effects of unconventional oil and gas development in the Bakken Shale within the Williston Basin, located in ND, SD and MT. Research is building upon current/ongoing studies to implement new, innovative research including water quality, water availability, ecological effects, proppant sand, and induced seismicity.
Flood Response
Floods are the leading cause of natural disaster losses, and Midwest Region scientists are ready to respond. Flood inundation maps tied to USGS real-time stream gage data and National Weather Service flood forecast sites enable state and local communities to make timely operational and public safety decisions during floods.
Bridge Scour Publications
Publications about North and South Dakota bridge scour.
Reconstructing Flow History From Riparian Tree Rings
Aquatic Systems Branch scientists analyze rings of riparian trees relating tree growth and establishment to historical flow. We then use the tree rings to reconstruct the flow in past centuries. Flow reconstructions discover the frequency and magnitude of past droughts and floods—information that is essential for management of rivers and water supplies. We also use downscaled climate...
Missouri River Basin Overveiw
Learn About the Missouri River Basin
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Droughts and Flooding in Devils Lake Basin
Learn about Past Droughts and Flooding that has Occured in the Devils Lake Basin.
Land Treatment Exploration Tool
The Land Treatment Exploration Tool is designed for resource managers to use when planning land treatments. The tool provides useful summaries of environmental characteristics of planned treatment areas and facilitates adaptive management practices by comparing those characteristics to other similar treatments within a specified distance or area of interest. Provisional Software.
Yellowstone River Basin Water-Quality Assessment data tables
Data collected in the Yellowstone River basin since 1998 are available from this link. Data from the Yellowstone River Basin NAWQA study unit and other study units that overlap into Wyoming, such as the Upper Snake River, the Great Salt Lake Basins, and the South Platte River study units, also are available from the NAWQA Data Warehouse.
Shapefiles and Historical Aerial Photographs, Little Missouri River, 1939-2003
The data archive contains the aerial photographs and channel delineations used in our analysis. The images have been geo-referenced to the 1995 digital orthophoto quarter quadrangles as described by Miller and Friedman (2009). The channel delineations for all photo years (including 2003) and the delineation of the outer flood-plain boundary are stored as shapefiles.
National Water Information System web interface (NWISweb)
The National Water Information System (NWIS) web application provides access to real-time and historical surface-water, groundwater, water-quality, and water-use data collected at approximately 1.5 million sites across all 50 states.
Widespread Legacy Brine Contamination from Oil Shales Reduces Survival of Chorus Frog Larvae-Data
Survival of larval Boreal Chorus Frogs (Pseudacris maculata) reared on sediments from brine-contaminated wetlands and a control source.
National Water Information System (NWIS) Mapper
The NWIS mapper provides access to over 1.5 million sites contained in the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS), including sites where current and historical surface-water, groundwater, springs, and atmospheric data has been collected. Users can search by site type, data type, site number, or place.
Statewide Historic Water-Quality Data
Field/lab samples, real-time data, and tutorial
North Dakota Water Quality Data
At selected surface-water and groundwater sites, the USGS maintains instruments that continuously record physical and chemical characteristics of the water including pH, specific conductance, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and percent dissolved-oxygen saturation. Supporting data such as air temperature and barometric pressure are also available at some sites.
North Dakota Surface Water Data
Real-time, daily, peak-flow, field measurements, and statistics of current and historical data that describe stream levels, streamflow (discharge), reservoir and lake levels, surface-water quality, and rainfall in Wisconsin. Surface-water data are collected and stored as either discrete field-water-level measurements or as continuous time-series data from automated recorders.
North Dakota Ground Water Data
Data from wells, springs, test holes, tunnels, drains, and excavations in North Dakota; well location data includes information such as latitude and longitude, well depth, and aquifer. Groundwater level data are collected and stored as either discrete field-water-level measurements or as continuous time-series data from automated recorders.
Structures Data
USGS data portray selected structures data, including the location and characteristics of manmade facilities. Characteristics consist of a structure's physical form (footprint), function, name, location, and detailed information about the structure. The types of structures collected are largely determined by the needs of the disaster planning and response and homeland security organizations.
Boundaries Data
Boundaries data or governmental units represent major civil areas including states, counties, Federal, and Native American lands, and incorporated places such as cities and towns.
Quaternary geologic map of the Dakotas 4° x 6° degree quadrangle, United States - This digital dataset is available for the Quaternary geology in North and South Dakota
The 3DEP products and services available through The National Map consist of standard digital elevation models (DEMs) at various horizontal resolutions, elevation source and associated datasets, an elevation point query service and bulk point query service. All 3DEP products are available, free of charge and without use restrictions.
This mapper displays SPARROW nutrient load and yield data and the importance of various nutrient sources for the RARB, given nutrient inputs similar to 2002. Rankings can be shown by country, state/province, HUC4, HUC8, and catchment. Nutrient data can be explored using maps and interactive graphs and tables. Modeling results can be exported as an Excel spreadsheet or a geospatial dataset.
Petrology and diagenetic history of the upper shale member of the Late Devonian-Early Mississippian Bakken Formation, Williston Basin, North Dakota
The organic-rich upper shale member of the upper Devonian–lower Mississippian Bakken Formation (Williston Basin, North Dakota, USA) has undergone significant diagenetic alteration, irrespective of catagenesis related to hydrocarbon generation. Alteration includes precipitation of numerous cements, replacement of both detrital and authigenic...
Neil S. Fishman; Sven O. Egenhoff; Boehlke, Adam; Lowers, Heather A. Quality and age of shallow groundwater in the Bakken Formation production area, Williston Basin, Montana and North Dakota
The quality and age of shallow groundwater in the Bakken Formation production area were characterized using data from 30 randomly distributed domestic wells screened in the upper Fort Union Formation. Comparison of inorganic and organic chemical concentrations to health based drinking-water standards, correlation analysis of concentrations with...
McMahon, Peter B.; Caldwell, Rodney R.; Galloway, Joel M.; Valder, Joshua F.; Hunt, Andrew G. Chemical and morphological comparison of erionite from Oregon, North Dakota, and Turkey
Erionite, a fibrous zeolite, occurs in pediment gravel deposits near Killdeer Mountain, North Dakota. Material from these pediment deposits has been excavated for use as roadbed throughout Dunn County, North Dakota. Erionite also occurs in the Cappadocian region of Turkey, where a link between malignant mesothelioma and inhalation of this mineral...
Lowers, Heather; Adams, David T.; Meeker, Gregory P.; Nutt, Constance J. Comparative morphology among northern populations of breeding Cooper's Hawks
Few studies at a broad geographical scale have characterized intraspecific variation in morphology of woodland hawks in the genus Accipiter. From 1999 to 2007 we investigated morphological variation in large samples of live Cooper's Hawks (A. cooperii) nesting in four study areas: coniferous woodland around Victoria, British Columbia, Canada...
Rosenfield, Robert N.; Rosenfield, Laura J.; Bielefeldt, John; Murphy, Robert K.; Stewart, Andrew C.; Stout, William E.; Driscoll, Timothy G.; Bozek, Michael A.
Water-use data for the Red River of the North Basin, North Dakota, Minnesota, and South Dakota, 1979-2001
The Red River of the North, located in the north-central plains of the United States, plays an important role in population growth and economic development of the region. Because of recent and projected growth in population, industry, and agriculture in the Red River of the North Basin, alternatives to additional water resources will be needed to...
Macek-Rowland, Kathleen M.; Arntson, Allan D.; Ryberg, Karen R.; Dahl, Ann L.; Lieb, Amy
Estimated use of water in North Dakota in 1985 and trends during 1960-85
Estimates of water use in North Dakota have been compiled by the U.S. Geological Survey every 5 years since 1950. These estimates have been published in national summaries of water use (MacKichan, 1951, 1957; MacKichan and Kammerer, 1961; Murray, 1968; Murrary and Reeves, 1972, 1977; and Solley and others, 1983, 1987). In this report,...
Wesolowski, Edwin A.
National water summary 1987: Hydrologic events and water supply and use
Water use in the United States, as measured by freshwater withdrawals in 1985, averaged 338,000 Mgal/d (million gallons per day), which is enough water to cover the 48 conterminous States to a depth of about 2.4 inches. Only 92,300 Mgal/d, or 27.3 percent of the water withdrawn, was consumptive use and thus lost to immediate further use; the...
Carr, Jerry E.; Chase, Edith B.; Paulson, Richard W.; Moody, David W.
Winter Streamflow Measurement at the Rush River at Amenia, ND
USGS Hydrologic Technician Chris Broz attempting to find flow at the Rush River at Amenia, ND (USGS streamgage 05060500). It took the technicians an hour to dig through the snow drift under the wire weight gage just to get to the ice. Then they drilled holes in the ice so they could see if there was any water to measure.
National Oil and Gas Assessment Provinces
This is a graphic from the USGS National Oil and Gas Assessment Explorer application, which allows user to drill into 70 oil and gas assessment provinces throughout the United States.
Marshmallow-like Formations on Cannonball River at Regent, ND
Marshmallow-like formations were photographed on the Cannonball River at Regent, North Dakota (USGS streamgage 06350000) on April 3, 2018. Foam is produced naturally from organic material in the water in combination with turbulence resulting from water flowing over the weir. The cold temperatures allowed the foam to freeze into these unique marshmallow-like formations.
Flow Measurement on Little Missouri River
USGS Civil Engineer Brent Hanson measuring the streamflow of the Little Missouri River near Watford City, ND (streamgage 06337000). More information about this streamgage is available at https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv/?site_no=06337000.
Zero Streamflow at Souris River near Westhope, ND (05124000)
USGS hydrologic technicians Kevin Baker (shown in the picture) and Jarvis Kaderlik found the Souris River near Westhope, ND (streamgage 05124000) to be at zero flow on January 4, 2018. More information on USGS streamgage 05124000 can be found at https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?
...
Streamflow Measurements Under Ice Using Acoustic Doppler Technology
Hydrologic Technicians from USGS offices across North and South Dakota took part in training on how to make flow measurements under ice using acoustic Doppler technology. This technology increases measurement quality, while decreasing time, effort, and risk to the individuals making the measurements. The photograph was taken at USGS streamgage 05059300 Sheyenne River above
...
Streamflow Measurements Under Ice Using Acoustic Doppler Technology
Hydrologic Technicians from USGS offices across North and South Dakota took part in training on how to make flow measurements under ice using acoustic Doppler technology. This technology increases measurement quality, while decreasing time, effort, and risk to the individuals making the measurements. The photograph was taken at USGS streamgage 05059300 Sheyenne River above
...
Well Drill in the Bakken Formation near Williston
Water truck in background is providing maintenance water to a producing well drilled in the Bakken Formation near Williston, North Dakota.
Oil Wells in ND
Water is used for many direct aspects of unconventional oil and gas development including drilling, development, and maintenance of wells. (Photograph by Janet Carter, USGS)
Snacker
An animated GIF of a ground squirrel appearing to eat repeatedly, really fast. The animated GIF was created from a clip within a USGS video entitled, "USGS Pollinator Research and Monitoring."
Oblique aerial photographs at North Topsail Beach, North Carolina
Location 3: Oblique aerial photographs at North Topsail Beach, North Carolina. Oblique aerial photographs collected before (top) and after (bottom) Hurricane Matthew. Storm waves and surge eroded and overwashed artificial sand dunes placed at the back of the beach to protect buildings and parking lots. The yellow arrows in each image point to the same features in both
...
Landsat Monitors Mining at Center of North America Near Town of Center
Mining has been part of Center's history for more than a century. In August 1984, the Landsat 5 image shows significant surface mining of lignite coal just to the southeast of town, during a summer when drought had browned the countryside. Thirty-two years later, the mining activity moved to the southwest of Center. An additional mining operation also began near the Milton
...Do you eat fruits and vegetables? What about nuts? If so, you can thank an insect pollinator, usually a honey bee. These small insects play a major role in pollinating the world’s plants, including those we eat regularly. They also increase our nation’s crop values each year by more than 15 billion dollars.
March 6-8, 2018 at the National Energy Center of Excellence located on the campus of Bismarck State College in Bismarck, ND.
The public is invited to attend a free, family-friendly open house at a local U.S. Geological Survey center for ecology research on Saturday, September 16.
A carbonatite here, a glacial moraine there, a zig-zagging fault or two, even a behemoth of a batholith. The geology of the 50 States is an enormous patchwork of varied forms, beautiful in their variance but challenging to present as a single map.
Today, Landsat shows us the evolution of the coal industry near North America & North Dakota’s Center...
Joyce E. Williamson, a native of South Dakota and a South Dakota School of Mines and Technology alumna, was selected as the director of the newly formed U.S. Geological Survey Dakota Water Science Center. Williamson is located in the center’s Rapid City, South Dakota, office.
First-of-its-kind survey shows that algal toxins are found nationwide
A new, interactive tool can help managers make critical water-quality decisions in the Red River Basin of the United States and Canada.
CORVALLIS, Ore. — Ecosystem restoration is complex and requires an understanding of how the land, plants, and animals all interact with each other over large areas and over time. Today, the U.S. Geological Survey published part two of a three-part handbook addressing restoration of sagebrush ecosystems from the landscape to the site level.
Locations
Dakota Water Science Center- Bismarck
Phone: (701) 250-7400
Fax: (701) 250-7429
Dakota Water Science Center- Grand Forks Field Office
Phone: (701) 775-7221
Fax: (701) 775-1114
Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Phone: 701-253-5500
Fax: 701-253 5553
