Following a wet winter, bulrush is shown growing in Malheur Lake. Emergent vegetation like bulrush provides nesting habitat and food resources for birds.
Casie Smith
Casie Smith is an ecologist at the USGS Oregon Water Science Center who works in Bend, Oregon.
Casie has been working for the USGS since 2012 and is part of the Ecology Team at the USGS Oregon Water Science Center. Recent projects involve:
-evaluating the fate and transport of contaminants in aquatic and terrestrial systems,
-assessing linkages between water quality and metabolism in terminal lakes of the Great Basin, and
-experimenting within mesocosms to reduce suspended sediment in a shallow lake.
Education and Certifications
B.S. in Environment and Natural Resources- Conservation Biology, Clemson University
M.S. in Environmental Science and Technology- Wetland Ecology, University of Maryland.
Science and Products
Comparing modern identification methods for wild bees: Metabarcoding and image-based morphological taxonomic assignment
Integrated science strategy for assessing and monitoring water availability and migratory birds for terminal lakes across the Great Basin, United States
Conserved grasslands support similar pollinator diversity as pollinator-specific practice regardless of proximal cropland and pesticide exposure
Science to support conservation action in a large river system: The Willamette River, Oregon, USA
Implications of water, sediment, and nutrient budgets for the restoration of a shallow, turbid lake in semiarid southeastern Oregon
Organohalogenated contaminants in multiple life stages of the Pacific lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus), Oregon, USA
Field assessment of Naled and its primary degradation product (dichlorvos) in aquatic ecosystems following aerial ultra-low volume application for mosquito control
Wild bee exposure to pesticides in conservation grasslands increases along an agricultural gradient: A tale of two sample types
Light attenuation and erosion characteristics of fine sediments in a highly turbid, shallow, Great Basin Lake—Malheur Lake, Oregon, 2017–18
Temperature and water-quality diversity and the effects of surface-water connection in off-channel features of the Willamette River, Oregon, 2015–16
Evaluation of restoration alternatives using water-budget tools for the Wapato Lake National Wildlife Refuge, northwestern Oregon
Contaminant concentrations in sediments, aquatic invertebrates, and fish in proximity to rail tracks used for coal transport in the Pacific Northwest: A baseline assessment
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Oregon Water Science Center's Malheur Lake Portfolio
Water Quality in Willow Creek Reservoir, Oregon
Comparisons of dissolved-oxygen calibration methods at various elevations, Oregon, 2023
Plant and insect pollinator diversity data from Conservation Reserve Program fields across an agricultural gradient in eastern Iowa
Bibliography of hydrological and ecological research in the Great Basin terminal lakes, USA
Contaminants in larval, juvenile, and adult Pacific lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus), Oregon, 2017-2021
Images and Identifications of Wild Bees Collected in Eastern Iowa, 2019
Pesticide residues in passive samplers and bee tissue from Conservation Reserve Program fields across an agricultural gradient in eastern Iowa, USA, 2019 (ver 2.0, October 2023)
Naled and dichlorvos in water and aquatic organisms from a canal and rice fields near Sacramento, California
Phytoplankton Data for Malheur Lake, Oregon, 2018-2020
Stage-Volume-Area Table for Malheur Lake, Oregon, 2021
Estimates of average daily gross primary production and ecosystem respiration in Bronson and Fanno Creeks, OR (August, 2016)
Continuous temperature measurements to assess upstream connection of off-channel features of the middle and upper Willamette River, Oregon, Summer, 2016
Point measurements of temperature and water quality in the main channel and off-channel features of the lower reaches of the Willamette River, Clackamas River, Molalla River, and Johnson Creek, 2017
Following a wet winter, bulrush is shown growing in Malheur Lake. Emergent vegetation like bulrush provides nesting habitat and food resources for birds.
An American coot nest in Malheur Lake was built with bulrush and floated on the surface even as waves passed by.
An American coot nest in Malheur Lake was built with bulrush and floated on the surface even as waves passed by.
Wave reduction barriers were installed around some mesocosms to test whether reducing wind-wave action would reduce suspended sediment in the water column.
Wave reduction barriers were installed around some mesocosms to test whether reducing wind-wave action would reduce suspended sediment in the water column.
Malheur Lake is shown with turbid water and without emergent vegetation. Snowpack from Steens Mountain (shown in the distance) provides most of the inflow to Malheur Lake.
Malheur Lake is shown with turbid water and without emergent vegetation. Snowpack from Steens Mountain (shown in the distance) provides most of the inflow to Malheur Lake.
Algal bloom in WIllow Creek Reservoir, Oregon, taken during a photointerpretive study of the lake.
Algal bloom in WIllow Creek Reservoir, Oregon, taken during a photointerpretive study of the lake.
View of the Willow Creek Reservoir near Heppner, OR
View of the Willow Creek Reservoir near Heppner, OR
Health-Based Screening Levels for Evaluating Water-Quality Data
Search a table containing 835 contaminants and their associated water-quality benchmarks and standards.
Science and Products
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 14
Comparing modern identification methods for wild bees: Metabarcoding and image-based morphological taxonomic assignment
With the decline of bee populations worldwide, studies determining current wild bee distributions and diversity are increasingly important. Wild bee identification is often completed by experienced taxonomists or by genetic analysis. The current study was designed to compare two methods of identification including: (1) morphological identification by experienced taxonomists using images of field-cAuthorsCassandra Smith, Robert S. Cornman, Jennifer A. Fike, Johanna M. Kraus, Sara J. Oyler-McCance, Carrie E Givens, Michelle Hladik, Mark W. Vandever, Dana W. Kolpin, Kelly SmallingIntegrated science strategy for assessing and monitoring water availability and migratory birds for terminal lakes across the Great Basin, United States
Executive SummaryIn 2022, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) established the Saline Lake Ecosystems Integrated Water Availability Assessment (IWAAs) to monitor and assess the hydrology of terminal lakes in the Great Basin and the migratory birds and other wildlife dependent on those habitats. Scientists from across the USGS (with specialties in water quantity, water quality, limnology, avian biologAuthorsRebecca J. Frus, Cameron L. Aldridge, Michael L. Casazza, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Garth Herring, Scott A. Hynek, Daniel K. Jones, Susan K Kemp, Thomas M. Marston, Christopher M. Morris, Ramon C. Naranjo, Cee Nell, David R. O'Leary, Cory T. Overton, Bryce A. Pulver, Brian E. Reichert, Christine A. Rumsey, Rudy Schuster, Cassandra D. SmithConserved grasslands support similar pollinator diversity as pollinator-specific practice regardless of proximal cropland and pesticide exposure
Pollinator diversity and abundance are declining globally. Cropland agriculture and the corresponding use of agricultural pesticides may contribute to these declines, while increased pollinator habitat (flowering plants) can help mitigate them. Here we tested whether the relative effect of wildflower plantings on pollinator diversity and counts were modified by proportion of nearby agricultural laAuthorsJohanna M. Kraus, Kelly Smalling, Mark W. Vandever, Carrie E Givens, Cassandra Smith, Dana W. Kolpin, Michelle HladikScience to support conservation action in a large river system: The Willamette River, Oregon, USA
Management and conservation efforts that support the recovery and protection of large rivers are daunting, reflecting the complexity of the challenge and extent of effort (in terms of policy, economic investment, and spatial extent) needed to afford measurable change. These large systems have generally experienced intensive development and regulation, compromising their capacity to respond to distAuthorsRebecca L. Flitcroft, Luke Whitman, James White, J. Rose Wallick, Laurel E. Stratton Garvin, Cassandra Smith, Robert Plotnikoff, Michael Mulvey, Tobias Kock, Krista Jones, Peter Gruendike, Carolyn Gombert, Guillermo Giannico, Andrew Dutterer, Daniel G. Brown, Hannah Barrett, Robert M. HughesImplications of water, sediment, and nutrient budgets for the restoration of a shallow, turbid lake in semiarid southeastern Oregon
Malheur Lake is the largest lake in the endorheic Harney Basin in southeastern Oregon. Since the 1990s, Malheur Lake—which averages depths of about 1 meter—has been in a degraded, turbid state lacking submergent and emergent vegetation. The goals of this study were to identify the major sources of sediment and nutrients to Malheur Lake to determine the importance of managing nutrients for lake resAuthorsCassandra D. Smith, Tamara M. WoodOrganohalogenated contaminants in multiple life stages of the Pacific lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus), Oregon, USA
Pacific lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus) are ecologically and culturally important anadromous animals native to the West Coast of the United States. Pacific lamprey populations are in decline, and contaminants may be a contributing factor. Between 2017 and 2021, three life stages of Pacific lamprey and collocated sediment samples were collected in Oregon (larval lamprey, sediment, and returning aAuthorsCassandra Smith, Sean E. Payne, Jennifer L. Morace, Elena NilsenField assessment of Naled and its primary degradation product (dichlorvos) in aquatic ecosystems following aerial ultra-low volume application for mosquito control
Naled, an organophosphate insecticide, is applied aerially at ultra-low volumes over aquatic ecosystems near Sacramento, California, USA, during summer months for mosquito control. Two ecosystem types (rice fields and a flowing canal) were sampled in 2020 and 2021. Naled and its primary degradation product (dichlorvos) were measured in water, biofilm, grazer macroinvertebrates, and omnivore/predatAuthorsCassandra Smith, Michelle Hladik, Kathryn Kuivila, Ian R. WaiteWild bee exposure to pesticides in conservation grasslands increases along an agricultural gradient: A tale of two sample types
Conservation efforts have been implemented in agroecosystems to enhance pollinator diversity by creating grassland habitat, but little is known about the exposure of bees to pesticides while foraging in these grassland fields. Pesticide exposure was assessed in 24 conservation grassland fields along an agricultural gradient at two time points (July and August) using silicone band passive samplersAuthorsMichelle Hladik, Johanna M. Kraus, Cassandra Smith, Mark W. Vandever, Dana W. Kolpin, Carrie E Givens, Kelly L. SmallingLight attenuation and erosion characteristics of fine sediments in a highly turbid, shallow, Great Basin Lake—Malheur Lake, Oregon, 2017–18
Malheur Lake is a large, shallow, turbid lake in southeastern Oregon that fluctuates widely in surface area in response to yearly precipitation and climatic cycles. High suspended-sediment concentrations (SSCs) likely are negatively affecting the survival of aquatic plants by reducing the intensity of solar radiation reaching the plants, thus inhibiting photosynthesis. This study was designed to dAuthorsTamara M. Wood, Cassandra D. SmithTemperature and water-quality diversity and the effects of surface-water connection in off-channel features of the Willamette River, Oregon, 2015–16
Water-quality conditions (including temperature) in the Willamette River and many of its adjacent off-channel features, such as alcoves and side channels, were monitored between river miles 67 (near Salem, Oregon) and 168 (near Eugene, Oregon) during the summers of 2015 and 2016. One or more parameters (water temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, specific conductance, and [or] water depth) were contiAuthorsCassandra D. Smith, Joseph F. Mangano, Stewart A. RoundsEvaluation of restoration alternatives using water-budget tools for the Wapato Lake National Wildlife Refuge, northwestern Oregon
The lakebed in Wapato Lake National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in northwestern Oregon was farmed for decades prior to the establishment of the refuge in 2013. Planning for restoration of these lands required extensive data collection and construction of a water budget and tools to design and evaluate potential restoration strategies. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceAuthorsStewart A. Rounds, T. Zach Freed, Daniel T. Snyder, Cassandra D. Smith, Micelis C. Doyle, Erin Holmes, Curt Mykut, Tim Mayer, Erin Stockenberg, Stephen L. PilsonContaminant concentrations in sediments, aquatic invertebrates, and fish in proximity to rail tracks used for coal transport in the Pacific Northwest: A baseline assessment
Railway transport of coal poses an environmental risk because coal dust contains polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), mercury (Hg), and other trace metals. In the Pacific Northwest, proposed infrastructure projects could result in an increase in coal transport by train through the Columbia River corridor. Baseline information is needed on current distributions, levels, and spatial patterns ofAuthorsWhitney B Hapke, Robert W. Black, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Cassandra Smith, Lyndal Johnson, Gina M Ylitalo, Daryle Boyd, Jay W. Davis, Sara L. Caldwell Eldridge, Elena NilsenNon-USGS Publications**
Kaushal, S.S., Maas, C.M., Mayer, P.M., Newcomer-Johnson, T.A., Grant, S.B., Rippy, M.A., Shatkay, R.R., Leathers, J., Gold, A.J., Smith, C., McMullen, E.C., Haq, S., Smith, R., Duan, S., Malin, J., Yaculak, A., Reimer, J.E., Newcomb, K.D., Raley, A.S., Collison, D.C., Galella, J.G., Grese, M., Sivirichi, G., Doody, T.R., Vikesland, P., Bhide, S.V., Krauss, L., Daugherty, M., Stavrou, C., Etheredge, M., Ziegler, J., Kirschnick, A., England, W., Belt, K.T., 2023, Longitudinal stream synoptic monitoring tracks chemicals along watershed continuums: a typology of trends. Front. Environ. Sci. Sec. Biogeochemical Dynamics, https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2023.1122485.Smith, C.D., Freed, T.Z., and Leisnham, P.T., 2015, Prior Hydrologic Disturbance Affects Competition between Aedes Mosquitoes via Changes in Leaf Litter: PLoS ONE, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0128956.Culin, J., and Smith, C., 2014, Student Survey of Lepidoptera and Odonata in Crowders Mountain State Park, Kings Mountain State Park, and Kings Mountain National Military Park: American Entomologist, v. 60, p. 29-38, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ae/60.1.29.Smith, C., Baldwin, A.H., Sullivan, J., and Leisnham, P.T., 2013, Effects of Elevated Atmospheric CO2 on Competition Between the Mosquitoes Aedes albopictus and Ae. triseriatus via Changes in Litter Quality and Production: Journal of Medical Entomology, v. 50, p. 521-532, http://dx.doi.org/10.1603/ME12149.**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
- Science
Oregon Water Science Center's Malheur Lake Portfolio
USGS scientists have partnered with local groups to learn about the processes affecting turbidity in Malheur Lake. Located in southeastern Oregon, Malheur Lake and the surrounding refuge provide critical habitat to birds migrating along the Pacific Flyway.Water Quality in Willow Creek Reservoir, Oregon
Blue-green algal blooms in the Willow Creek Reservoir may produce toxins that can be harmful to those that come in contact with them. - Data
Filter Total Items: 18
Comparisons of dissolved-oxygen calibration methods at various elevations, Oregon, 2023
    Two dissolved-oxygen experiments were completed using internally logging water-quality monitors. Dissolved-oxygen sensors on the water-quality monitors were calibrated using various settings and at various elevations in Oregon, USA. Data from these experiments can be used 1) to assess how elevation affects dissolved-oxygen values recorded by continuous water-quality monitors, and 2) to infPlant and insect pollinator diversity data from Conservation Reserve Program fields across an agricultural gradient in eastern Iowa
This data release includes sampling location identification and timing data as well as plant and insect pollinator taxonomic information in Conservation Reserve Program fields. Sampling took place during July and August of 2019. Fields were located on private land managed for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Conservation Reserve Program in eastern central Iowa, U.S.A.Bibliography of hydrological and ecological research in the Great Basin terminal lakes, USA
This database contains literature citations and associated abstracts pertaining to the ecology and hydrology of terminal lakes in the Great Basin region of the western United States. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list, nor did we perform a systematic meta-analysis; rather, literature records were included based on topical relevance.Contaminants in larval, juvenile, and adult Pacific lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus), Oregon, 2017-2021
This data release contains analytical results of organohalogenated compounds and mercury in lamprey and sediment that were collected from rivers in Oregon and along the Pacific northwest coast from 2017 to 2021. In 2017, 20 lamprey were collected off the Washington and Oregon coasts by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. These ocean-caught juvenile lamprey were parasitizing targetImages and Identifications of Wild Bees Collected in Eastern Iowa, 2019
Bees were collected in 24 fields across eastern Iowa in summer 2019. This data collection was part of a pesticide study funded by the USGS Ecosystems Mission Area- Environmental Health Program. Bees were collected using the sweep net method and then were immediately placed on dry ice in the field. Bees were kept frozen to prevent degradation. In the lab, each wild bee was photographed from one orPesticide residues in passive samplers and bee tissue from Conservation Reserve Program fields across an agricultural gradient in eastern Iowa, USA, 2019 (ver 2.0, October 2023)
This data release includes sampling location, pesticide concentrations in passive samplers (silicone bands) and bees foraging in Conservation Reserve Program fields. Sampling took place during July and August of 2019. Fields were located on private land managed for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Conservation Reserve Program in eastern central Iowa, U.S.A.Naled and dichlorvos in water and aquatic organisms from a canal and rice fields near Sacramento, California
Ultra-low volumes of naled are applied by aircraft over rice fields and canals to reduce adult mosquito populations near Sacramento, California. Each summer, the pesticide is applied approximately 7-10 times between July and October. Naled and its major degradate (dichlorvos) were quantified in water, biofilm, and invertebrates following aerial applications. In 2020, samples were collected beforePhytoplankton Data for Malheur Lake, Oregon, 2018-2020
Malheur Lake is a shallow, freshwater lake in southeastern Oregon. This data release includes phytoplankton data from three sites located in Malheur Lake collected from 8/8/2018 to 8/11/2020. For each sample collected, the phytoplankton were reported to the lowest taxonomic unit. Phytoplankton biovolume, algal cell concentration, and algal biomass concentration are included. All phytoplankton dataStage-Volume-Area Table for Malheur Lake, Oregon, 2021
Malheur Lake is a vast, shallow lake in eastern Oregon. The lake is within the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge and serves as an important stop and breeding ground along the Pacific flyway for migratory ducks and geese. The bottom of the lake is fairly uniform and there are very few topographic features. A small vertical increase in lake stage may result in a large change in area or volume. TheEstimates of average daily gross primary production and ecosystem respiration in Bronson and Fanno Creeks, OR (August, 2016)
This data release contains estimates of mean daily gross primary production (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (ER) in Bronson and Fanno Creeks, Oregon during August of 2016. These estimates were part of a larger study of the water-quality effects of beaver dams and beaver activity in selected urban streams of the Tualatin River Basin in northwestern Oregon. The mean daily GPP and ER values were estiContinuous temperature measurements to assess upstream connection of off-channel features of the middle and upper Willamette River, Oregon, Summer, 2016
Temperature loggers were placed on the ground (n=4) and hung in the air (n=2) near the upstream connection point of four Willamette River off-channel features (side channels and alcoves) to assess timing and discharge conditions when these four off-channel features were inundated at the upstream end with flow from the main channel. Temperature readings indicate that the upstream end of an off-chanPoint measurements of temperature and water quality in the main channel and off-channel features of the lower reaches of the Willamette River, Clackamas River, Molalla River, and Johnson Creek, 2017
Water quality point measurements were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey along the lower Willamette River near the cities of Lake Oswego and Wilsonville, Oregon, as well as the lowest two kilometers of the Clackamas River, Molalla River, and Johnson Creek. These measurements were collected in the main channel and off-channel features on discreet dates from April through October of 2017. All m - Multimedia
Bulrush growing in Malheur Lake
Following a wet winter, bulrush is shown growing in Malheur Lake. Emergent vegetation like bulrush provides nesting habitat and food resources for birds.
Following a wet winter, bulrush is shown growing in Malheur Lake. Emergent vegetation like bulrush provides nesting habitat and food resources for birds.
American coot nest in Malheur LakeAn American coot nest in Malheur Lake was built with bulrush and floated on the surface even as waves passed by.
An American coot nest in Malheur Lake was built with bulrush and floated on the surface even as waves passed by.
Wave reduction barriers and a wind sensor in Malheur LakeWave reduction barriers and a wind sensor in Malheur LakeWave reduction barriers were installed around some mesocosms to test whether reducing wind-wave action would reduce suspended sediment in the water column.
Wave reduction barriers were installed around some mesocosms to test whether reducing wind-wave action would reduce suspended sediment in the water column.
Malheur LakeMalheur Lake is shown with turbid water and without emergent vegetation. Snowpack from Steens Mountain (shown in the distance) provides most of the inflow to Malheur Lake.
Malheur Lake is shown with turbid water and without emergent vegetation. Snowpack from Steens Mountain (shown in the distance) provides most of the inflow to Malheur Lake.
Algal bloom in WIllow Creek Reservoir, OregonAlgal bloom in WIllow Creek Reservoir, Oregon, taken during a photointerpretive study of the lake.
Algal bloom in WIllow Creek Reservoir, Oregon, taken during a photointerpretive study of the lake.
Willow Creek Reservoir, OregonView of the Willow Creek Reservoir near Heppner, OR
View of the Willow Creek Reservoir near Heppner, OR
- News
- Web Tools
Health-Based Screening Levels for Evaluating Water-Quality Data
Search a table containing 835 contaminants and their associated water-quality benchmarks and standards.