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The Southwest Region ranges from the Colorado Rockies to the Gulf Coast and the Western Deserts to the Great Plains. The Southwest Region conducts multi- and interdisciplinary research and monitoring in locations across the Region, the United States, around the world, and across our solar system.
News
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.
Human activity, such as groundwater pumping, land management, reservoir operations and urbanization, has a measurable effect on streamflows in Kansas locally, regionally and statewide, according to a new report by the U.S. Geological Survey, done in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism.
The U.S. Geological Survey has released a new report detailing changes of groundwater levels in the High Plains aquifer. The report presents water-level change data in the aquifer for two separate periods: from 1950 – the time prior to significant groundwater irrigation development – to 2015, and from 2013 to 2015.
Publications
A flatfile of ground motion intensity measurements from induced earthquakes in Oklahoma and Kansas
We have produced a uniformly processed database of orientation-independent (RotD50, RotD100) ground motion intensity measurements containing peak horizontal ground motions (accelerations and velocities) and 5-percent-damped pseudospectral accelerations (0.1–10 s) from more than 3,800 M ≥ 3 earthquakes in Oklahoma and Kansas that occurred...
Rennolet, Steven B.; Moschetti, Morgan P.; Thompson, Eric M.; Yeck, William L. Considerations in comparing the U.S. Geological Survey one‐year induced‐seismicity hazard models with “Did You Feel It?” and instrumental data
The recent steep increase in seismicity rates in Oklahoma, southern Kansas, and other parts of the central United States led the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to develop, for the first time, a probabilistic seismic hazard forecast for one year (2016) that incorporates induced seismicity. In this study, we explore a process to ground‐truth the...
White, Isabel; Liu, Taojun; Luco, Nicolas; Liel, Abbie
Methods for estimating annual exceedance-probability streamflows for streams in Kansas based on data through water year 2015
A study was done by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Kansas Department of Transportation and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to develop regression models to estimate peak streamflows of annual exceedance probabilities of 50, 20, 10, 4, 2, 1, 0.5, and 0.2 percent at ungaged locations in Kansas. Peak streamflow frequency...
Painter, Colin C.; Heimann, David C.; Lanning-Rush, Jennifer L.
Algal and Other Environmental Toxins Laboratory — Lawrence, Kansas
About the Laboratory
Scientists at the Organic Geochemistry Research Laboratory (OGRL) in Lawrence, Kansas, develop and employ targeted and non-targeted analytical methods for identification and quantitation of known and understudied algal/cyanobacterial toxins that can impact the health of humans and other organisms. Newly acquired (2018) instrumentation will expand...
Organic Geochemistry Research Laboratory — Lawrence, Kansas
About the Laboratory
Chemists and geologists at the Kansas Water Science Center's Organic Geochemistry Research Laboratory (OGRL) develop targeted and non-targeted analytical methods for the identification and quantitation of chemicals that can impact the health of humans and other organisms and use bioassays to screen for receptor inhibition. They have developed...
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...
Milford Lake
The USGS Kansas Water Science Center, in cooperation with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), has been studying the extreme cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABS) occurring annually in Milford Lake. CyanoHABs on Milford Lake have impacted local businesses economically, and there have been documented human illnesses and animal deaths associated with the blooms....
Ozark Plateaus Groundwater Availability Study
The U.S. Geological Survey's Groundwater Resources Program (GWRP) is conducting an assessment of groundwater availability throughout the United States to gain a better understanding of the status of the Nation's groundwater resources and how changes in water use and climate may affect those resources.
...
Tri-State Ground-Water Modeling
Short Title: Tri-State Ground-Water Model
Project Chief: Jonathan Gillip
Cooperators: Kansas Water Board
Project Time Frame: 2005 - present
To assess the effect that increased water use is having on the long-term availability of groundwater within the Ozark Plateaus aquifer system, a...
Fluvial Geomorphology
An understanding of river- and stream-channel geomorphic responses to various human-caused and natural disturbances is important for effective management, conservation, and rehabilitation of rivers and streams to accommodate multiple, often conflicting, needs. Channel changes may have implications for the protection of property and structures, water supply, navigation, and habitat. The channel...
Urban Water Quality Monitoring in Johnson County Kansas
Johnson County, a suburban part of the Kansas City metropolitan area, is one of the most populated counties in Kansas with 544,000 people in 2010, a 21 percent increase in population since 2000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Located in northeastern Kansas, about one-half of the county is urban. Urban, industrial, and agricultural land uses affect the quality of streams and lakes in the...
Cheney Reservoir and Water Quality Studies
Cheney Reservoir is located on the North Fork Ninnescah River in south-central Kansas, 20 miles west of Wichita. Cheney Reservoir is the primary drinking water supply for the city and a popular recreational resource for the region. After cyanobacterial blooms in 1990 and 1991, which caused servere taste-and-odor events, the USGS Kansas Water Science Center partnered with the City of Wichita ...
Effects of Wastewater Discharge and Treatment Facility Upgrades on Environmental and Biological Conditions of Indian Creek, Johnson County, Kansas
The purpose of the study is to assess the effects of wastewater discharge and treatment facility upgrades on the environmental and biological conditions of Indian Creek, downstream from the Middle Basin wastewater treatment facility (WWTF). Streamflow, discrete and continuously measured stream-water chemistry, streambed-sediment chemistry, and habitat data will be used to: evaluate differences...
Lakes and Reservoirs in Kansas
The lakes and reservoirs in Kansas are located in two major river basins—the Missouri River Basin and the Arkansas River Basin. Basin summaries and individual lake and reservoir information are available courtesy of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S Bureau of Reclamation.
Kansas Drought
Droughts affect more people in North America than any other natural hazard. The cost of losses due to drought in the United States averages $8-9 billion every year. In Kansas, the droughts of the 1930s and 1950s resulted in severe economic impacts that included crop losses and damage, high livestock mortality rates, tree loss due to disease, damage to fish habitat due to low streamflows, and...
Streamflow Statistics
Streamflow statistics for the state of Kansas.
Cowskin Creek Flood Watch
A Map showing various levels of the 1998 Cowskin Creek Flood.
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.
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.
National Weather Service AHPS, Kansas
Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service (AHPS) is a new and essential component of our Climate, Water, and Weather Services. AHPS is a web-based suite of accurate and information-rich forecast products. They display the magnitude and uncertainty of occurrence of floods or droughts, from hours to days and months, in advance.
Phytoplankton data for Cheney Reservoir near Cheney, Kansas, June 2001 through November 2015
This U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Data Release provides phytoplankton data collected from Cheney Reservoir, Kansas, during June 2001 through November 2015.
Flood Watch for Kansas
Maps of flood and high flow conditions within Kansas
WaterWatch Real-time streamflow data for Kansas
WaterWatch displays maps, graphs, and tables describing real-time, recent, and past streamflow conditions for the United States, including flood and droughts. Real-time information generally is updated on an hourly basis.
WaterQualityWatch for Kansas
WaterQualityWatch provides access to real time water-quality data collected in surface waters in Kansas, including streamflow, water temperature, specific conductance, pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, and nitrate.
Surface-water data for Kansas
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 Kansas. Surface-water 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.
Digital map of aquifer boundary for the High Plains aquifer in parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming - This digital data set represents the extent of the High Plains aquifer in the central United States
An interactive map of Johnson County with sites.
This map shows the location of stream gages where the water level is currently at or above flood stage (depicted as a black triangle) or at high flow (depicted as blue circles) The high flow conditions are expressed as percentiles that compare the current (i.e., within the past several hours) instantaneous flow value to historical daily mean flow values
Study area for the Kansas River Algal project.
The purpose of the study is to assess the effects of wastewater discharge and treatment facility upgrades on the environmental and biological conditions of Indian Creek, downstream from the Middle Basin wastewater treatment facility (WWTF).
Equus Site Map has various wells and recharge points in the Equus study area to promote water recharge.
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.
A flatfile of ground motion intensity measurements from induced earthquakes in Oklahoma and Kansas
We have produced a uniformly processed database of orientation-independent (RotD50, RotD100) ground motion intensity measurements containing peak horizontal ground motions (accelerations and velocities) and 5-percent-damped pseudospectral accelerations (0.1–10 s) from more than 3,800 M ≥ 3 earthquakes in Oklahoma and Kansas that occurred...
Rennolet, Steven B.; Moschetti, Morgan P.; Thompson, Eric M.; Yeck, William L. Considerations in comparing the U.S. Geological Survey one‐year induced‐seismicity hazard models with “Did You Feel It?” and instrumental data
The recent steep increase in seismicity rates in Oklahoma, southern Kansas, and other parts of the central United States led the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to develop, for the first time, a probabilistic seismic hazard forecast for one year (2016) that incorporates induced seismicity. In this study, we explore a process to ground‐truth the...
White, Isabel; Liu, Taojun; Luco, Nicolas; Liel, Abbie Methods for estimating annual exceedance-probability streamflows for streams in Kansas based on data through water year 2015
A study was done by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Kansas Department of Transportation and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to develop regression models to estimate peak streamflows of annual exceedance probabilities of 50, 20, 10, 4, 2, 1, 0.5, and 0.2 percent at ungaged locations in Kansas. Peak streamflow frequency...
Painter, Colin C.; Heimann, David C.; Lanning-Rush, Jennifer L. Predicting cyanobacterial abundance, microcystin, and geosmin in a eutrophic drinking-water reservoir using a 14-year dataset
Cyanobacterial blooms degrade water quality in drinking water supply reservoirs by producing toxic and taste-and-odor causing secondary metabolites, which ultimately cause public health concerns and lead to increased treatment costs for water utilities. There have been numerous attempts to create models that predict cyanobacteria and their...
Harris, Ted D.; Graham, Jennifer L. A rare moderate‐sized (Mw 4.9) earthquake in Kansas: Rupture process of the Milan, Kansas, earthquake of 12 November 2014 and its relationship to fluid injection
The largest recorded earthquake in Kansas occurred northeast of Milan on 12 November 2014 (Mw 4.9) in a region previously devoid of significant seismic activity. Applying multistation processing to data from local stations, we are able to detail the rupture process and rupture geometry of the mainshock, identify the causative fault plane, and...
Choy, George; Rubinstein, Justin L.; Yeck, William L.; McNamara, Daniel E.; Mueller, Charles; Boyd, Oliver S.
Spatiotemporal variability of inorganic nutrients during wastewater effluent dominated streamflow conditions in Indian Creek, Johnson County, Kansas, 2012–15
Nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus, are a leading cause of water-quality impairment in Kansas and the Nation. Indian Creek is one of the most urban drainage basins in Johnson County, Kansas, and environmental and biological conditions are affected by contaminants from point and other urban sources. The Johnson County Douglas L. Smith...
Foster, Guy M.; Graham, Jennifer L.; Williams, Thomas J.; King, Lindsey R.
Historical files from Federal Government mineral exploration-assistance programs, 1950 to 1974
The Defense Minerals Administration (DMA), Defense Minerals Exploration Administration (DMEA), and Office of Minerals Exploration (OME) mineral exploration programs were active over the period 1950–1974. Under these programs, the Federal Government contributed financial assistance in the exploration for certain strategic and critical minerals. The...
Frank, David G. Likelihood testing of seismicity-based rate forecasts of induced earthquakes in Oklahoma and Kansas
Likelihood testing of induced earthquakes in Oklahoma and Kansas has identified the parameters that optimize the forecasting ability of smoothed seismicity models and quantified the recent temporal stability of the spatial seismicity patterns. Use of the most recent 1-year period of earthquake data and use of 10–20-km smoothing distances...
Moschetti, Morgan P.; Hoover, Susan M.; Mueller, Charles
Logistic and linear regression model documentation for statistical relations between continuous real-time and discrete water-quality constituents in the Kansas River, Kansas, July 2012 through June 2015
The Kansas River is a primary source of drinking water for about 800,000 people in northeastern Kansas. Source-water supplies are treated by a combination of chemical and physical processes to remove contaminants before distribution. Advanced notification of changing water-quality conditions and cyanobacteria and associated toxin and taste-and-...
Foster, Guy M.; Graham, Jennifer L.
Irrigation water use in Kansas, 2013
This report, prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Kansas Department of Agriculture, Division of Water Resources, presents derivative statistics of 2013 irrigation water use in Kansas. The published regional and county-level statistics from the previous 4 years (2009–12) are shown with the 2013 statistics and are used to...
Lanning-Rush, Jennifer L.
Public-supply water use in Kansas, 2013
This report, prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s Division of Water Resources, presents derivative statistics of water used by Kansas public-supply systems in 2013. The published statistics from the previous 4 years (2009–12) are also shown with the 2013 statistics and are...
Lanning-Rush, Jennifer L.; Eslick, Patrick J. A random-walk algorithm for modeling lithospheric density and the role of body forces in the evolution of the Midcontinent Rift
This paper develops a Monte Carlo algorithm for extracting three-dimensional lithospheric density models from geophysical data. Empirical scaling relationships between velocity and density create a 3D starting density model, which is then iteratively refined until it reproduces observed gravity and topography. This approach permits deviations from...
Levandowski, William Brower; Boyd, Oliver S.; Briggs, Richard W.; Gold, Ryan D.
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.
USGS scientists evaluating the nebulizer assembly
USGS scientists evaluating the nebulizer assembly in a mixed mode ionization source of a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer used to measure individual cyanotoxins
(USGS scientist working on data analysis of cyanotoxins in water
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientist working on data analysis of cyanotoxins in water samples
Keith A. Loftin is the lead scientist for algal and cyanobacteria
Keith A. Loftin, USGS, is the lead scientist for algal and cyanobacterial toxins
Cyanobacterial accumulation at Binder Lake, Iowa
Algal and Other Environmental Toxins Laboratory — Lawrence, Kansas. Cyanobacterial accumulation along with a dead fish
USGS scientist preparing to measure cyanotoxins in water samples
USGS) scientist preparing to measure cyanotoxins in water samples using an automated enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) instrument
New (2018) instrument laboratory at the OGRL
View of the new (2018) instrument laboratory at the Organic Geochemistry Research Laboratory (OGRL), Lawrence, Kansas. View of a row of instruments in the laboratory.
Time-of-flight mass spectrometer used for the analysis of pesticides
Organic Geochemistry Research Laboratory — Lawrence, Kansas. Scientists working on at time-of-flight mass spectrometer
New (2018) sample processing laboratory at the OGRL
Organic Geochemistry Research Laboratory — Lawrence, Kansas. Sample processing laboratory.
Pressurized fluid extractor used to extract organic compounds
Organic Geochemistry Research Laboratory — Lawrence, Kansas. Pressurized Fluid Extractor
Harmful algal blooms turn water in Milford Lake emerald green
Harmful algal blooms turn water in Milford Lake emerald green
Groundwater use from the Ozark Plateaus aquifer system, 1900 to 2010
Groundwater use from the Ozark Plateaus aquifer system, 1900 to 2010” is a short video showing modeled groundwater withdrawal rates from the Ozark Plateaus aquifer system (Ozark system) in the central United States. The Ozark Plateaus Groundwater Availability Study aims to quantify current groundwater resources in the Ozark system, evaluate how these resources have changed
...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.
Human activity, such as groundwater pumping, land management, reservoir operations and urbanization, has a measurable effect on streamflows in Kansas locally, regionally and statewide, according to a new report by the U.S. Geological Survey, done in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism.
The U.S. Geological Survey has released a new report detailing changes of groundwater levels in the High Plains aquifer. The report presents water-level change data in the aquifer for two separate periods: from 1950 – the time prior to significant groundwater irrigation development – to 2015, and from 2013 to 2015.
Two decades of harmful algal bloom, nutrient and sediment research by the U.S. Geological Survey is helping to support Wichita’s long-term vision of a sustainable water supply into the future. Early warning indicators of harmful algal blooms have been developed for Cheney Reservoir, Kansas, according to a new USGS publication done in cooperation with the City of Wichita, Kansas.
Small variations in the density of the earth’s crust—undetectable to humans without sensitive instruments—influence where earthquakes may occur in the central United States. These new findings from the U.S. Geological Survey, published today in Nature Communications, may allow scientists to map where future seismicity in the center of the country is most likely.
Water-level changes from 2002 to 2015 were examined in wells screened in the High Plains aquifer within the Republican River Basin and the results are now available in a new U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Map.
A new U.S. Geological Survey publication and model can be applied by multiple entities to better understand flow, quantity, sources and sinks of groundwater in the Northern High Plains Aquifer, which covers approximately 100,000 square miles across Nebraska, South Dakota, Kansas, Colorado and Wyoming.
Bifenthrin combats pests, but may harm aquatic ecosystems
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck in Oklahoma on September 3, 2016 at 12:02:44 UTC (7:02 am local time).
Study shows water quality minimally affected in nearby streams and groundwater
Highest concentrations found in Iowa, Minnesota and Illinois.
First-of-its-kind survey shows that algal toxins are found nationwide
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Locations
Southwest Region Director's Office
Phone: 303.236.5438
Fax: 303.236.5448
Kansas Water Science Center
Phone: (785) 842-9909
Fax: (785) 832-3500
Organic Geochemistry Research Laboratory (OGRL)
Phone: (785) 832-3564
Wichita Field Office
Phone: (316) 773-3225
Hays Field Office
Phone: (785) 623-2848
