James Orlando
James Orlando is a hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey and has been with the California Water Science Center since 1999.
James received his BS and MS degrees from California State University Sacramento. His focus at the USGS has been on examining spatial and temporal trends in concentrations of pesticides, mercury, and other contaminants found in surface water, sediment and biota of freshwater and estuarine ecosystems. His additional research interests include using GIS to display, analyze and model environmental and anthropogenic variables in an effort to better understand their impacts on sensitive ecosystems. He is currently a project chief in charge of USGS, Pesticide Fate Research Group studies taking place within California.
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 48
A compilation of U.S. Geological Survey pesticide concentration data for water and sediment in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta region: 1990–2010
Beginning around 2000, abundance indices of four pelagic fishes (delta smelt, striped bass, longfin smelt, and threadfin shad) within the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta began to decline sharply (Sommer and others, 2007). These declines collectively became known as the pelagic organism decline (POD). No single cause has been linked to this decline, and current theories suggest t
Authors
James L. Orlando
Understanding pesticides in California's Delta
The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta (Delta) is the hub of California’s water system and also an important habitat for imperiled fish and wildlife. Aquatic organisms are exposed to mixtures of pesticides that flow through the maze of Delta water channels from sources including agricultural, landscape, and urban pest-control applications. While we do not know all of the effects pesticides have on
Authors
Kathryn Kuivila, James L. Orlando
Occurrence of pesticides in water and sediment collected from amphibian habitats located throughout the United States, 2009-10
Water and bed-sediment samples were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in 2009 and 2010 from 11 sites within California and 18 sites total in Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, and Oregon, and were analyzed for a suite of pesticides by the USGS. Water samples and bed-sediment samples were collected from perennial or seasonal ponds located in amphibian habitats in conjunction w
Authors
Kelly L. Smalling, James L. Orlando, Daniel Calhoun, William A. Battaglin, Kathryn Kuivila
Comparison of stream invertebrate response models for bioassessment metric
We aggregated invertebrate data from various sources to assemble data for modeling in two ecoregions in Oregon and one in California. Our goal was to compare the performance of models developed using multiple linear regression (MLR) techniques with models developed using three relatively new techniques: classification and regression trees (CART), random forest (RF), and boosted regression trees (B
Authors
Ian R. Waite, Jonathan Kennen, Jason T. May, Larry R. Brown, Thomas F. Cuffney, Kimberly A. Jones, James L. Orlando
Occurrence of pesticides in surface water and sediments from three central California coastal watersheds, 2008-2009
Water and sediment (bed and suspended) were collected from January 2008 through October 2009 from 12 sites in 3 of the largest watersheds along California's Central Coast (Pajaro, Salinas, and Santa Maria Rivers) and analyzed for a suite of pesticides by the U.S. Geological Survey. Water samples were collected in each watershed from the estuaries and major tributaries during 4 storm events and 11
Authors
Kelly L. Smalling, James L. Orlando
Trends in nutrient concentrations, loads, and yields in streams in the Sacramento, San Joaquin, and Santa Ana Basins, California, 1975-2004
A comprehensive database was assembled for the Sacramento, San Joaquin, and Santa Ana Basins in California on nutrient concentrations, flows, and point and nonpoint sources of nutrients for 1975-2004. Most of the data on nutrient concentrations (nitrate, ammonia, total nitrogen, orthophosphate, and total phosphorus) were from the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water Information System database
Authors
Charles R. Kratzer, Robert Kent, Dina K. Seleh, Donna L. Knifong, Peter D. Dileanis, James L. Orlando
Comparison of watershed disturbance predictive models for stream benthic macroinvertebrates for three distinct ecoregions in western US
The successful use of macroinvertebrates as indicators of stream condition in bioassessments has led to heightened interest throughout the scientific community in the prediction of stream condition. For example, predictive models are increasingly being developed that use measures of watershed disturbance, including urban and agricultural land-use, as explanatory variables to predict various metric
Authors
Ian R. Waite, Larry R. Brown, Jonathan Kennen, Jason T. May, Thomas F. Cuffney, James L. Orlando, Kimberly A. Jones
Collection of pyrethroids in water and sediment matrices: Development and validation of a standard operating procedure
Loss of pyrethroid insecticides onto surfaces during sample collection can confound the interpretation of analytical and toxicity test results. Sample collection devices, container materials, and water matrix composition have a significant influence on the association of pyrethroids to container walls, which can be as high as 50 percent. Any sample collection method involving transfer through mult
Authors
Michelle Hladik, James L. Orlando, Kathryn Kuivila
Pesticides in Water and Suspended Sediment of the Alamo and New Rivers, Imperial Valley/Salton Sea Basin, California, 2006-2007
Water and suspended-sediment samples were collected at eight sites on the Alamo and New Rivers in the Imperial Valley/Salton Sea Basin of California and analyzed for both current-use and organochlorine pesticides by the U.S. Geological Survey. Samples were collected in the fall of 2006 and spring of 2007, corresponding to the seasons of greatest pesticide use in the basin. Large-volume water sampl
Authors
James L. Orlando, Kelly L. Smalling, Kathryn Kuivila
Level 1 water-quality inventory of baseline levels of pesticides in urban creeks: Golden Gate National Recreation Area and Presidio of San Francisco, California
To characterize baseline water-quality levels of pesticides in Golden Gate National Recreation Area and the Presidio of San Francisco, the U.S. Geological Survey collected and analyzed surface-water and bed-sediment samples at 10 creeks during February, April, and July 2006. Pesticide data were obtained using previously developed methods. Samples from sites in the Presidio were analyzed only for p
Authors
Michelle Hladik, James L. Orlando
Occurrence of pesticides in water, sediment, and soil from the Yolo Bypass, California
The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential sources of pesticides to the Yolo Bypass, including those that could potentially impact critical life stages of resident fish. To assess direct inputs during inundation, pesticide concentrations were analyzed in water and suspended and bed sediment samples collected from source watersheds during high-flow events. To understand inputs from d
Authors
Kelly L. Smalling, James L. Orlando, Kathryn Kuivila
Box Model of a Series of Salt Ponds, as Applied to the Alviso Salt Pond Complex, South San Francisco Bay, California
This report documents the development and application of a box model to simulate water level, salinity, and temperature of the Alviso Salt Pond Complex in South San Francisco Bay. These ponds were purchased for restoration in 2003 and currently are managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to maintain existing wildlife habitat and prevent a build up of salt during the development of a long-ter
Authors
Megan A. Lionberger, David H. Schoellhamer, Gregory Shellenbarger, James L. Orlando, Neil K. Ganju
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 48
A compilation of U.S. Geological Survey pesticide concentration data for water and sediment in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta region: 1990–2010
Beginning around 2000, abundance indices of four pelagic fishes (delta smelt, striped bass, longfin smelt, and threadfin shad) within the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta began to decline sharply (Sommer and others, 2007). These declines collectively became known as the pelagic organism decline (POD). No single cause has been linked to this decline, and current theories suggest t
Authors
James L. Orlando
Understanding pesticides in California's Delta
The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta (Delta) is the hub of California’s water system and also an important habitat for imperiled fish and wildlife. Aquatic organisms are exposed to mixtures of pesticides that flow through the maze of Delta water channels from sources including agricultural, landscape, and urban pest-control applications. While we do not know all of the effects pesticides have on
Authors
Kathryn Kuivila, James L. Orlando
Occurrence of pesticides in water and sediment collected from amphibian habitats located throughout the United States, 2009-10
Water and bed-sediment samples were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in 2009 and 2010 from 11 sites within California and 18 sites total in Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, and Oregon, and were analyzed for a suite of pesticides by the USGS. Water samples and bed-sediment samples were collected from perennial or seasonal ponds located in amphibian habitats in conjunction w
Authors
Kelly L. Smalling, James L. Orlando, Daniel Calhoun, William A. Battaglin, Kathryn Kuivila
Comparison of stream invertebrate response models for bioassessment metric
We aggregated invertebrate data from various sources to assemble data for modeling in two ecoregions in Oregon and one in California. Our goal was to compare the performance of models developed using multiple linear regression (MLR) techniques with models developed using three relatively new techniques: classification and regression trees (CART), random forest (RF), and boosted regression trees (B
Authors
Ian R. Waite, Jonathan Kennen, Jason T. May, Larry R. Brown, Thomas F. Cuffney, Kimberly A. Jones, James L. Orlando
Occurrence of pesticides in surface water and sediments from three central California coastal watersheds, 2008-2009
Water and sediment (bed and suspended) were collected from January 2008 through October 2009 from 12 sites in 3 of the largest watersheds along California's Central Coast (Pajaro, Salinas, and Santa Maria Rivers) and analyzed for a suite of pesticides by the U.S. Geological Survey. Water samples were collected in each watershed from the estuaries and major tributaries during 4 storm events and 11
Authors
Kelly L. Smalling, James L. Orlando
Trends in nutrient concentrations, loads, and yields in streams in the Sacramento, San Joaquin, and Santa Ana Basins, California, 1975-2004
A comprehensive database was assembled for the Sacramento, San Joaquin, and Santa Ana Basins in California on nutrient concentrations, flows, and point and nonpoint sources of nutrients for 1975-2004. Most of the data on nutrient concentrations (nitrate, ammonia, total nitrogen, orthophosphate, and total phosphorus) were from the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water Information System database
Authors
Charles R. Kratzer, Robert Kent, Dina K. Seleh, Donna L. Knifong, Peter D. Dileanis, James L. Orlando
Comparison of watershed disturbance predictive models for stream benthic macroinvertebrates for three distinct ecoregions in western US
The successful use of macroinvertebrates as indicators of stream condition in bioassessments has led to heightened interest throughout the scientific community in the prediction of stream condition. For example, predictive models are increasingly being developed that use measures of watershed disturbance, including urban and agricultural land-use, as explanatory variables to predict various metric
Authors
Ian R. Waite, Larry R. Brown, Jonathan Kennen, Jason T. May, Thomas F. Cuffney, James L. Orlando, Kimberly A. Jones
Collection of pyrethroids in water and sediment matrices: Development and validation of a standard operating procedure
Loss of pyrethroid insecticides onto surfaces during sample collection can confound the interpretation of analytical and toxicity test results. Sample collection devices, container materials, and water matrix composition have a significant influence on the association of pyrethroids to container walls, which can be as high as 50 percent. Any sample collection method involving transfer through mult
Authors
Michelle Hladik, James L. Orlando, Kathryn Kuivila
Pesticides in Water and Suspended Sediment of the Alamo and New Rivers, Imperial Valley/Salton Sea Basin, California, 2006-2007
Water and suspended-sediment samples were collected at eight sites on the Alamo and New Rivers in the Imperial Valley/Salton Sea Basin of California and analyzed for both current-use and organochlorine pesticides by the U.S. Geological Survey. Samples were collected in the fall of 2006 and spring of 2007, corresponding to the seasons of greatest pesticide use in the basin. Large-volume water sampl
Authors
James L. Orlando, Kelly L. Smalling, Kathryn Kuivila
Level 1 water-quality inventory of baseline levels of pesticides in urban creeks: Golden Gate National Recreation Area and Presidio of San Francisco, California
To characterize baseline water-quality levels of pesticides in Golden Gate National Recreation Area and the Presidio of San Francisco, the U.S. Geological Survey collected and analyzed surface-water and bed-sediment samples at 10 creeks during February, April, and July 2006. Pesticide data were obtained using previously developed methods. Samples from sites in the Presidio were analyzed only for p
Authors
Michelle Hladik, James L. Orlando
Occurrence of pesticides in water, sediment, and soil from the Yolo Bypass, California
The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential sources of pesticides to the Yolo Bypass, including those that could potentially impact critical life stages of resident fish. To assess direct inputs during inundation, pesticide concentrations were analyzed in water and suspended and bed sediment samples collected from source watersheds during high-flow events. To understand inputs from d
Authors
Kelly L. Smalling, James L. Orlando, Kathryn Kuivila
Box Model of a Series of Salt Ponds, as Applied to the Alviso Salt Pond Complex, South San Francisco Bay, California
This report documents the development and application of a box model to simulate water level, salinity, and temperature of the Alviso Salt Pond Complex in South San Francisco Bay. These ponds were purchased for restoration in 2003 and currently are managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to maintain existing wildlife habitat and prevent a build up of salt during the development of a long-ter
Authors
Megan A. Lionberger, David H. Schoellhamer, Gregory Shellenbarger, James L. Orlando, Neil K. Ganju