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Douglas B. Chambers

Doug Chambers is a water quality specialist and biologist at the Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center.

Science and Products

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Image: Harmful Algal Blooms

Harmful Algal Blooms Investigations at the Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center

Excessive accumulations of algae that impair waterbodies, called harmful algal blooms (HABs), can have detrimental effects on aquatic ecosystems, reduce the quality of water resources, and can pose significant risks to human and animal health. The Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center works with state, regional, and local partners to evaluate the drivers and distribution of harmful algal...
By
Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center
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Harmful Algal Blooms Investigations at the Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center

Excessive accumulations of algae that impair waterbodies, called harmful algal blooms (HABs), can have detrimental effects on aquatic ecosystems, reduce the quality of water resources, and can pose significant risks to human and animal health. The Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center works with state, regional, and local partners to evaluate the drivers and distribution of harmful algal...
Learn More
link
A hydrologic technician prepares a water sample for testing, working within a protected lab space to prevent contamination.

PFAS Investigations at the Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center

Exposure to some per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has been linked to harmful health effects in humans and animals. The Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center works with local and regional partners to determine the drivers and distribution of PFAS contamination in groundwater, surface water, and drinking water supplies across Virginia and West Virginia.
By
Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center
link

PFAS Investigations at the Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center

Exposure to some per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has been linked to harmful health effects in humans and animals. The Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center works with local and regional partners to determine the drivers and distribution of PFAS contamination in groundwater, surface water, and drinking water supplies across Virginia and West Virginia.
Learn More
link
lateral view of WV spring salamander, August 2018

Pre-listing Science Support in the Northeast

We are working closely with multiple partners to provide updated information, model potential outcomes, and identify key uncertainties relevant to amphibian and reptile species proposed for listing in the northeast US. We also provide timely science to partners to assist in recovery of listed species, which may involve field research, data analysis, or decision support.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center
link

Pre-listing Science Support in the Northeast

We are working closely with multiple partners to provide updated information, model potential outcomes, and identify key uncertainties relevant to amphibian and reptile species proposed for listing in the northeast US. We also provide timely science to partners to assist in recovery of listed species, which may involve field research, data analysis, or decision support.
Learn More

Environmental Sampling of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in the Middle Chickahominy River Watershed, Virginia, 2021-2022 (ver. 2.0, September 2023)

These data were collected to understand the occurrence of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in the middle Chickahominy River watershed. Specifically, this effort was initiated to: 1. Determine concentrations of PFAS in surface water at select locations in the middle Chickahominy River watershed; 2. Determine concentrations of PFAS in edible portions of fish at select locations in the mid
By
Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center

Benthic macroinvertebrate, fish, and physical habitat data for selected streams in Reston, VA

The United States Geological Survey Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center (USGS VA-WV-WSC) and Fairfax County assembled this data release in support of ongoing USGS VA-WV-WSC monitoring and evaluations of stream conditions overtime of two previously restored, urban-suburban streams in Reston, Virginia – Snakeden Branch and The Glade. The aquatic benthic macroinvertebrate, fish, and habit
By
Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center

Fort Belvoir, Virginia, stream-water, streambed-sediment, and soil data collected in 2019

Field parameters and chemical-analysis results of stream water, streambed sediment, and soil data collected during 2019 at Fort Belvoir, Virginia are presented.
By
Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center

Chemical constituent concentrations in stream water, streambed sediment, and soils of Fort Belvoir, Virginia—A characterization of ambient conditions in 2019

IntroductionThe U.S. Army Fort Belvoir (FTBL) installation is on the banks of the Potomac River in Fairfax County, northeastern Virginia. The installation was founded by the U.S. Army during World War I. It has been home to a variety of military organizations over the course of its more than 100-year history and currently houses more than 145 mission partners. The installation consists of two nonc
Authors
Karen C. Rice, Douglas B. Chambers
By
Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center

Degradation of crude 4-MCHM (4-methylcyclohexanemethanol) in sediments from Elk River, West Virginia

In January 2014, approximately 37 800 L of crude 4-methylcyclohexanemethanol (crude MCHM) spilled into the Elk River, West Virginia. To understand the long-term fate of 4-MCHM, we conducted experiments under environmentally relevant conditions to assess the potential for the 2 primary compounds in crude MCHM (1) to undergo biodegradation and (2) for sediments to serve as a long-term source of 4-MC
Authors
Isabelle M. Cozzarelli, Denise M. Akob, Mary Jo Baedecker, Tracey Spencer, Jeanne B. Jaeschke, Darren S. Dunlap, Adam C. Mumford, Amisha T. Poret-Peterson, Douglas B. Chambers
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Reston Biogeochemical Processes in Groundwater Laboratory, Reston Microbiology Laboratory

Water quality of groundwater and stream base flow in the Marcellus Shale Gas Field of the Monongahela River Basin, West Virginia, 2011-12

The Marcellus Shale gas field underlies portions of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, Maryland, Tennessee, and West Virginia. Development of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling technology led to extensive development of gas from the Marcellus Shale beginning about 2007. The need to identify and monitor changes in water-quality conditions related to development of the Marcellus Shale
Authors
Douglas B. Chambers, Mark D. Kozar, Terence Messinger, Michon L. Mulder, Adam J. Pelak, Jeremy S. White
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center

Determination of (4-methylcyclohexyl)methanol isomers by heated purge-and-trap GC/MS in water samples from the 2014 Elk River, West Virginia, chemical spill

A heated purge-and-trap gas chromatography/mass spectrometry method was used to determine the cis- and trans-isomers of (4-methylcyclohexyl)methanol (4-MCHM), the reported major component of the Crude MCHM/Dowanol™ PPh glycol ether material spilled into the Elk River upriver from Charleston, West Virginia, on January 9, 2014. The trans-isomer eluted first and method detection limits were 0.16-μg L
Authors
William T. Foreman, Donna L. Rose, Douglas B. Chambers, Angela S. Crain, Lucinda K. Murtagh, Haresh Thakellapalli, Kung K. Wang

Temporal changes in taxonomic and functional diversity of fish assemblages downstream from mountaintop mining

Mountaintop mining (MTM) affects chemical, physical, and hydrological properties of receiving streams, but the long-term consequences for fish-assemblage structure and function are poorly understood. We sampled stream fish assemblages using electrofishing techniques in MTM exposure sites and reference sites within the Guyandotte River basin, USA, during 2010–2011. We calculated indices of taxonomi
Authors
Nathaniel P. Hitt, Douglas B. Chambers
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Groundwater quality in West Virginia, 1993-2008

Approximately 42 percent of all West Virginians rely on groundwater for their domestic water supply. However, prior to 2008, the quality of the West Virginia’s groundwater resource was largely unknown. The need for a statewide assessment of groundwater quality prompted the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP), Division of W
Authors
Douglas B. Chambers, Mark D. Kozar, Jeremy S. White, Katherine S. Paybins
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center

Water quality of the St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair, and their U.S. tributaries, 1946-2005

The St. Clair River/Lake St. Clair waterway forms an international boundary between the United States and Canada. The waters of the area are an important part of the cultural heritage of the area and serves as an important water-supply and power-generating resource; the waterway also supports an economy based largely on recreation, agriculture, and manufacturing. This report was undertaken as part
Authors
Denis F. Healy, Douglas B. Chambers, Cynthia M. Rachol, Richard S. Jodoin
By
Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center

A Reconnaissance for Emerging Contaminants in the South Branch Potomac River, Cacapon River, and Williams River Basins, West Virginia, April-October 2004

In 2003 a team of scientists from West Virginia Division of Natural Resources and the U. S. Geological Survey found a high incidence of an intersex condition, oocytes in the testes, among smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) in the South Branch Potomac River and the Cacapon River of West Virginia, indicating the possible presence of endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs). Possible sources of EDCs
Authors
Douglas B. Chambers, Thomas J. Leiker
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center

Reconnaissance of Stream Geomorphology, Low Streamflow, and Stream Temperature in the Mountaintop Coal-Mining Region, Southern West Virginia, 1999-2000

The effects of mountaintop removal coal mining and the valley fills created by this mining method in southern West Virginia were investigated by comparing data collected at valley-fill, mined, and unmined sites. Bed material downstream of valley-fill sites had a greater number of particles less than 2 millimeters and a smaller median particle size than the mined and unmined sites. At the 84th perc
Authors
Jeffrey B. Wiley, Ronald D. Evaldi, James H. Eychaner, Douglas B. Chambers
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center

Benthic invertebrate communities and their responses to selected environmental factors in the Kanawha River basin, West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina

The effects of selected environmental factors on the composition and structure of benthic invertebrate communities in the Kanawha River Basin of West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina were investigated in 1997 and 1998. Environmental factors investigated include physiography, land-use pattern, streamwater chemistry, streambed- sediment chemistry, and habitat characteristics. Land-use patterns
Authors
Douglas B. Chambers, Terence Messinger
By
Water Resources Mission Area, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC)

Fish communities and their relation to environmental factors in the Kanawha River basin, West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina, 1997-98

Stream size and zoogeography affected species composition and relative abundance of fish communities more than water-quality effects of land uses among the 21 sites sampled in West Virginia and Virginia. Most commonly-used fish metrics based on counts of species were significantly greater in sites downstream from Kanawha Falls (an important barrier to fish movement) than in sites upstream from Kan
Authors
Terence Messinger, Douglas B. Chambers

Water quality in the Kanawha-New River basin: West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina, 1996-98

This report summarizes major findings about water quality in the Kanawha-New River basin that emerged from an assessment conducted between 1996 and 1998 by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. Water quality is discussed in terms of local and regional issues and compared to conditions found in all 36 NAWQA study areas assessed to date. Findings also a
Authors
Katherine S. Paybins, Terence Messinger, James H. Eychaner, Douglas B. Chambers, Mark D. Kozar
By
Water Resources Mission Area, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC)
Image: Creek Chub
Creek Chub
Creek Chub
Image: Creek Chub

Creek Chub

Creek Chub

Creek Chub (Semotilus atromaculatus): this species is widely distributed in streams and rivers of eastern US and Canada.

By
Ecosystems, Communications and Publishing
Image: Creek Chub

Creek Chub

Creek Chub

Creek Chub (Semotilus atromaculatus): this species is widely distributed in streams and rivers of eastern US and Canada.

By
Ecosystems, Communications and Publishing

Science and Products

link
Image: Harmful Algal Blooms

Harmful Algal Blooms Investigations at the Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center

Excessive accumulations of algae that impair waterbodies, called harmful algal blooms (HABs), can have detrimental effects on aquatic ecosystems, reduce the quality of water resources, and can pose significant risks to human and animal health. The Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center works with state, regional, and local partners to evaluate the drivers and distribution of harmful algal...
By
Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center
link

Harmful Algal Blooms Investigations at the Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center

Excessive accumulations of algae that impair waterbodies, called harmful algal blooms (HABs), can have detrimental effects on aquatic ecosystems, reduce the quality of water resources, and can pose significant risks to human and animal health. The Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center works with state, regional, and local partners to evaluate the drivers and distribution of harmful algal...
Learn More
link
A hydrologic technician prepares a water sample for testing, working within a protected lab space to prevent contamination.

PFAS Investigations at the Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center

Exposure to some per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has been linked to harmful health effects in humans and animals. The Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center works with local and regional partners to determine the drivers and distribution of PFAS contamination in groundwater, surface water, and drinking water supplies across Virginia and West Virginia.
By
Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center
link

PFAS Investigations at the Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center

Exposure to some per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has been linked to harmful health effects in humans and animals. The Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center works with local and regional partners to determine the drivers and distribution of PFAS contamination in groundwater, surface water, and drinking water supplies across Virginia and West Virginia.
Learn More
link
lateral view of WV spring salamander, August 2018

Pre-listing Science Support in the Northeast

We are working closely with multiple partners to provide updated information, model potential outcomes, and identify key uncertainties relevant to amphibian and reptile species proposed for listing in the northeast US. We also provide timely science to partners to assist in recovery of listed species, which may involve field research, data analysis, or decision support.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center
link

Pre-listing Science Support in the Northeast

We are working closely with multiple partners to provide updated information, model potential outcomes, and identify key uncertainties relevant to amphibian and reptile species proposed for listing in the northeast US. We also provide timely science to partners to assist in recovery of listed species, which may involve field research, data analysis, or decision support.
Learn More

Environmental Sampling of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in the Middle Chickahominy River Watershed, Virginia, 2021-2022 (ver. 2.0, September 2023)

These data were collected to understand the occurrence of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in the middle Chickahominy River watershed. Specifically, this effort was initiated to: 1. Determine concentrations of PFAS in surface water at select locations in the middle Chickahominy River watershed; 2. Determine concentrations of PFAS in edible portions of fish at select locations in the mid
By
Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center

Benthic macroinvertebrate, fish, and physical habitat data for selected streams in Reston, VA

The United States Geological Survey Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center (USGS VA-WV-WSC) and Fairfax County assembled this data release in support of ongoing USGS VA-WV-WSC monitoring and evaluations of stream conditions overtime of two previously restored, urban-suburban streams in Reston, Virginia – Snakeden Branch and The Glade. The aquatic benthic macroinvertebrate, fish, and habit
By
Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center

Fort Belvoir, Virginia, stream-water, streambed-sediment, and soil data collected in 2019

Field parameters and chemical-analysis results of stream water, streambed sediment, and soil data collected during 2019 at Fort Belvoir, Virginia are presented.
By
Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center

Chemical constituent concentrations in stream water, streambed sediment, and soils of Fort Belvoir, Virginia—A characterization of ambient conditions in 2019

IntroductionThe U.S. Army Fort Belvoir (FTBL) installation is on the banks of the Potomac River in Fairfax County, northeastern Virginia. The installation was founded by the U.S. Army during World War I. It has been home to a variety of military organizations over the course of its more than 100-year history and currently houses more than 145 mission partners. The installation consists of two nonc
Authors
Karen C. Rice, Douglas B. Chambers
By
Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center

Degradation of crude 4-MCHM (4-methylcyclohexanemethanol) in sediments from Elk River, West Virginia

In January 2014, approximately 37 800 L of crude 4-methylcyclohexanemethanol (crude MCHM) spilled into the Elk River, West Virginia. To understand the long-term fate of 4-MCHM, we conducted experiments under environmentally relevant conditions to assess the potential for the 2 primary compounds in crude MCHM (1) to undergo biodegradation and (2) for sediments to serve as a long-term source of 4-MC
Authors
Isabelle M. Cozzarelli, Denise M. Akob, Mary Jo Baedecker, Tracey Spencer, Jeanne B. Jaeschke, Darren S. Dunlap, Adam C. Mumford, Amisha T. Poret-Peterson, Douglas B. Chambers
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Reston Biogeochemical Processes in Groundwater Laboratory, Reston Microbiology Laboratory

Water quality of groundwater and stream base flow in the Marcellus Shale Gas Field of the Monongahela River Basin, West Virginia, 2011-12

The Marcellus Shale gas field underlies portions of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, Maryland, Tennessee, and West Virginia. Development of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling technology led to extensive development of gas from the Marcellus Shale beginning about 2007. The need to identify and monitor changes in water-quality conditions related to development of the Marcellus Shale
Authors
Douglas B. Chambers, Mark D. Kozar, Terence Messinger, Michon L. Mulder, Adam J. Pelak, Jeremy S. White
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center

Determination of (4-methylcyclohexyl)methanol isomers by heated purge-and-trap GC/MS in water samples from the 2014 Elk River, West Virginia, chemical spill

A heated purge-and-trap gas chromatography/mass spectrometry method was used to determine the cis- and trans-isomers of (4-methylcyclohexyl)methanol (4-MCHM), the reported major component of the Crude MCHM/Dowanol™ PPh glycol ether material spilled into the Elk River upriver from Charleston, West Virginia, on January 9, 2014. The trans-isomer eluted first and method detection limits were 0.16-μg L
Authors
William T. Foreman, Donna L. Rose, Douglas B. Chambers, Angela S. Crain, Lucinda K. Murtagh, Haresh Thakellapalli, Kung K. Wang

Temporal changes in taxonomic and functional diversity of fish assemblages downstream from mountaintop mining

Mountaintop mining (MTM) affects chemical, physical, and hydrological properties of receiving streams, but the long-term consequences for fish-assemblage structure and function are poorly understood. We sampled stream fish assemblages using electrofishing techniques in MTM exposure sites and reference sites within the Guyandotte River basin, USA, during 2010–2011. We calculated indices of taxonomi
Authors
Nathaniel P. Hitt, Douglas B. Chambers
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Groundwater quality in West Virginia, 1993-2008

Approximately 42 percent of all West Virginians rely on groundwater for their domestic water supply. However, prior to 2008, the quality of the West Virginia’s groundwater resource was largely unknown. The need for a statewide assessment of groundwater quality prompted the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP), Division of W
Authors
Douglas B. Chambers, Mark D. Kozar, Jeremy S. White, Katherine S. Paybins
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center

Water quality of the St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair, and their U.S. tributaries, 1946-2005

The St. Clair River/Lake St. Clair waterway forms an international boundary between the United States and Canada. The waters of the area are an important part of the cultural heritage of the area and serves as an important water-supply and power-generating resource; the waterway also supports an economy based largely on recreation, agriculture, and manufacturing. This report was undertaken as part
Authors
Denis F. Healy, Douglas B. Chambers, Cynthia M. Rachol, Richard S. Jodoin
By
Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center

A Reconnaissance for Emerging Contaminants in the South Branch Potomac River, Cacapon River, and Williams River Basins, West Virginia, April-October 2004

In 2003 a team of scientists from West Virginia Division of Natural Resources and the U. S. Geological Survey found a high incidence of an intersex condition, oocytes in the testes, among smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) in the South Branch Potomac River and the Cacapon River of West Virginia, indicating the possible presence of endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs). Possible sources of EDCs
Authors
Douglas B. Chambers, Thomas J. Leiker
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center

Reconnaissance of Stream Geomorphology, Low Streamflow, and Stream Temperature in the Mountaintop Coal-Mining Region, Southern West Virginia, 1999-2000

The effects of mountaintop removal coal mining and the valley fills created by this mining method in southern West Virginia were investigated by comparing data collected at valley-fill, mined, and unmined sites. Bed material downstream of valley-fill sites had a greater number of particles less than 2 millimeters and a smaller median particle size than the mined and unmined sites. At the 84th perc
Authors
Jeffrey B. Wiley, Ronald D. Evaldi, James H. Eychaner, Douglas B. Chambers
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center

Benthic invertebrate communities and their responses to selected environmental factors in the Kanawha River basin, West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina

The effects of selected environmental factors on the composition and structure of benthic invertebrate communities in the Kanawha River Basin of West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina were investigated in 1997 and 1998. Environmental factors investigated include physiography, land-use pattern, streamwater chemistry, streambed- sediment chemistry, and habitat characteristics. Land-use patterns
Authors
Douglas B. Chambers, Terence Messinger
By
Water Resources Mission Area, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC)

Fish communities and their relation to environmental factors in the Kanawha River basin, West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina, 1997-98

Stream size and zoogeography affected species composition and relative abundance of fish communities more than water-quality effects of land uses among the 21 sites sampled in West Virginia and Virginia. Most commonly-used fish metrics based on counts of species were significantly greater in sites downstream from Kanawha Falls (an important barrier to fish movement) than in sites upstream from Kan
Authors
Terence Messinger, Douglas B. Chambers

Water quality in the Kanawha-New River basin: West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina, 1996-98

This report summarizes major findings about water quality in the Kanawha-New River basin that emerged from an assessment conducted between 1996 and 1998 by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. Water quality is discussed in terms of local and regional issues and compared to conditions found in all 36 NAWQA study areas assessed to date. Findings also a
Authors
Katherine S. Paybins, Terence Messinger, James H. Eychaner, Douglas B. Chambers, Mark D. Kozar
By
Water Resources Mission Area, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC)
Image: Creek Chub
Creek Chub
Creek Chub
Image: Creek Chub

Creek Chub

Creek Chub

Creek Chub (Semotilus atromaculatus): this species is widely distributed in streams and rivers of eastern US and Canada.

By
Ecosystems, Communications and Publishing
Image: Creek Chub

Creek Chub

Creek Chub

Creek Chub (Semotilus atromaculatus): this species is widely distributed in streams and rivers of eastern US and Canada.

By
Ecosystems, Communications and Publishing
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