Lori Sprague
Lori Sprague is currently the National Program Manager of the USGS Water Mission Area’s Integrated Water Availability Assessments (IWAAs) Program, which provides national and regional assessments of water for human and ecological needs and identifies factors that limit water availability.
Lori is also the USGS representative on the interagency Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force coordinating committee, which works to understand the causes and effects of eutrophication in the Gulf of Mexico; coordinate activities to reduce the size, severity, and duration of the seasonal hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico; and ameliorate the effects of hypoxia.
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 46
Modeling drivers of phosphorus loads in Chesapeake Bay tributaries and inferences about long-term change
Causal attribution of changes in water quality often consists of correlation, qualitative reasoning, listing references to the work of others, or speculation. To better support statements of attribution for water-quality trends, structural equation modeling was used to model the causal factors of total phosphorus loads in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. By transforming, scaling, and standardizing va
Authors
Karen R. Ryberg, Joel D. Blomquist, Lori A. Sprague, Andrew J. Sekellick, Jennifer L. Keisman
Water-quality trends in the nation’s rivers and streams, 1972–2012—Data preparation, statistical methods, and trend results
Since passage of the Clean Water Act in 1972, Federal, State, and local governments have invested billions of dollars to reduce pollution entering rivers and streams. To understand the return on these investments and to effectively manage and protect the Nation’s water resources in the future, we need to know how and why water quality has been changing over time. As part of the National Water-Qual
Authors
Gretchen P. Oelsner, Lori A. Sprague, Jennifer C. Murphy, Robert E. Zuellig, Henry M. Johnson, Karen R. Ryberg, James A. Falcone, Edward G. Stets, Aldo V. Vecchia, Melissa L. Riskin, Laura A. De Cicco, Taylor J. Mills, William H. Farmer
Challenges with secondary use of multi-source water-quality data in the United States
Combining water-quality data from multiple sources can help counterbalance diminishing resources for stream monitoring in the United States and lead to important regional and national insights that would not otherwise be possible. Individual monitoring organizations understand their own data very well, but issues can arise when their data are combined with data from other organizations that have u
Authors
Lori A. Sprague, Gretchen P. Oelsner, Denise M. Argue
Antecedent flow conditions and nitrate concentrations in the Mississippi River basin
The relationship between antecedent flow conditions and nitrate concentrations was explored at eight sites in the 2.9 million square kilometers (km2) Mississippi River basin, USA. Antecedent flow conditions were quantified as the ratio between the mean daily flow of the previous year and the mean daily flow from the period of record (Qratio), and the Qratio was statistically related to nitrate ano
Authors
Jennifer C. Murphy, Robert M. Hirsch, Lori A. Sprague
Nitrate in the Mississippi River and its tributaries, 1980-2010: an update
Nitrate concentration and flux were estimated from 1980 through 2010 at eight sites in the Mississippi River Basin as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). These estimates extend the results from a previous investigation that provided nitrate estimates from 1980 through 2008 at the same sites. From 1980 through 2010, annual flow-normali
Authors
Jennifer C. Murphy, Robert M. Hirsch, Lori A. Sprague
Estimated anthropogenic nitrogen and phosphorus inputs to the land surface of the conterminous United States--1992, 1997, and 2002
Anthropogenic inputs of nitrogen and phosphorus to each county in the conterminous United States and to the watersheds of 495 surface-water sites studied as part of the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment Program were quantified for the years 1992, 1997, and 2002. Estimates of inputs of nitrogen and phosphorus from biological fixation by crops (for nitrogen only), human consum
Authors
Lori A. Sprague, Jo Ann M. Gronberg
Relating management practices and nutrient export in agricultural watersheds of the United States
Relations between riverine export (load) of total nitrogen (N) and total phosphorus (P) from 133 large agricultural watersheds in the United States and factors affecting nutrient transport were evaluated using empirical regression models. After controlling for anthropogenic inputs and other landscape factors affecting nutrient transport-such as runoff, precipitation, slope, number of reservoirs, i
Authors
Lori A. Sprague, Jo Ann M. Gronberg
Nitrate in the Mississippi River and its tributaries, 1980 to 2008: Are we making progress?
Changes in nitrate concentration and flux between 1980 and 2008 at eight sites in the Mississippi River basin were determined using a new statistical method that accommodates evolving nitrate behavior over time and produces flow-normalized estimates of nitrate concentration and flux that are independent of random variations in streamflow. The results show that little consistent progress has been m
Authors
Lori A. Sprague, Robert M. Hirsch, Brent T. Aulenbach
Trends in suspended-sediment loads and concentrations in the Mississippi River Basin, 1950–2009
Trends in loads and concentrations of suspended sediment and suspended sand generally were downward for stations within the Mississippi River Basin during the 60-, 34-, and 12-year periods analyzed. Sediment transport in the lower Mississippi River has historically been, and continues to be, most closely correlative to sediment contributions from the Missouri River, which generally carried the lar
Authors
David C. Heimann, Lori A. Sprague, Dale W. Blevins
A Web-Based Decision Support System for Assessing Regional Water-Quality Conditions and Management Actions
The U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Assessment Program has completed a number of water-quality prediction models for nitrogen and phosphorus for the conterminous United States as well as for regional areas of the nation. In addition to estimating water-quality conditions at unmonitored streams, the calibrated SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes (SPARROW) models c
Authors
N.L. Booth, E.J. Everman, I.-L. Kuo, L. Sprague, L. Murphy
Nutrient sources and transport in the Missouri River Basin, with emphasis on the effects of irrigation and reservoirs
SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes (SPARROW) models were used to relate instream nutrient loads to sources and factors influencing the transport of nutrients in the Missouri River Basin. Agricultural inputs from fertilizer and manure were the largest nutrient sources throughout a large part of the basin, although atmospheric and urban inputs were important sources in some are
Authors
J.B. Brown, L.A. Sprague, J.A. Dupree
The quality of our nation's waters: Nutrients in the nation's streams and groundwater, 1992-2004
National Findings and Their ImplicationsAlthough the use of artificial fertilizer has supported increasing food production to meet the needs of a growing population, increases in nutrient loadings from agricultural and, to a lesser extent, urban sources have resulted in nutrient concentrations in many streams and parts of aquifers that exceed standards for protection of human health and (or) aquat
Authors
Neil M. Dubrovsky, Karen R. Burow, Gregory M. Clark, JoAnn M. Gronberg, Pixie A. Hamilton, Kerie J. Hitt, David K. Mueller, Mark D. Munn, Bernard T. Nolan, Larry J. Puckett, Michael G. Rupert, Terry M. Short, Norman E. Spahr, Lori A. Sprague, William G. Wilber
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 46
Modeling drivers of phosphorus loads in Chesapeake Bay tributaries and inferences about long-term change
Causal attribution of changes in water quality often consists of correlation, qualitative reasoning, listing references to the work of others, or speculation. To better support statements of attribution for water-quality trends, structural equation modeling was used to model the causal factors of total phosphorus loads in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. By transforming, scaling, and standardizing va
Authors
Karen R. Ryberg, Joel D. Blomquist, Lori A. Sprague, Andrew J. Sekellick, Jennifer L. Keisman
Water-quality trends in the nation’s rivers and streams, 1972–2012—Data preparation, statistical methods, and trend results
Since passage of the Clean Water Act in 1972, Federal, State, and local governments have invested billions of dollars to reduce pollution entering rivers and streams. To understand the return on these investments and to effectively manage and protect the Nation’s water resources in the future, we need to know how and why water quality has been changing over time. As part of the National Water-Qual
Authors
Gretchen P. Oelsner, Lori A. Sprague, Jennifer C. Murphy, Robert E. Zuellig, Henry M. Johnson, Karen R. Ryberg, James A. Falcone, Edward G. Stets, Aldo V. Vecchia, Melissa L. Riskin, Laura A. De Cicco, Taylor J. Mills, William H. Farmer
Challenges with secondary use of multi-source water-quality data in the United States
Combining water-quality data from multiple sources can help counterbalance diminishing resources for stream monitoring in the United States and lead to important regional and national insights that would not otherwise be possible. Individual monitoring organizations understand their own data very well, but issues can arise when their data are combined with data from other organizations that have u
Authors
Lori A. Sprague, Gretchen P. Oelsner, Denise M. Argue
Antecedent flow conditions and nitrate concentrations in the Mississippi River basin
The relationship between antecedent flow conditions and nitrate concentrations was explored at eight sites in the 2.9 million square kilometers (km2) Mississippi River basin, USA. Antecedent flow conditions were quantified as the ratio between the mean daily flow of the previous year and the mean daily flow from the period of record (Qratio), and the Qratio was statistically related to nitrate ano
Authors
Jennifer C. Murphy, Robert M. Hirsch, Lori A. Sprague
Nitrate in the Mississippi River and its tributaries, 1980-2010: an update
Nitrate concentration and flux were estimated from 1980 through 2010 at eight sites in the Mississippi River Basin as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). These estimates extend the results from a previous investigation that provided nitrate estimates from 1980 through 2008 at the same sites. From 1980 through 2010, annual flow-normali
Authors
Jennifer C. Murphy, Robert M. Hirsch, Lori A. Sprague
Estimated anthropogenic nitrogen and phosphorus inputs to the land surface of the conterminous United States--1992, 1997, and 2002
Anthropogenic inputs of nitrogen and phosphorus to each county in the conterminous United States and to the watersheds of 495 surface-water sites studied as part of the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment Program were quantified for the years 1992, 1997, and 2002. Estimates of inputs of nitrogen and phosphorus from biological fixation by crops (for nitrogen only), human consum
Authors
Lori A. Sprague, Jo Ann M. Gronberg
Relating management practices and nutrient export in agricultural watersheds of the United States
Relations between riverine export (load) of total nitrogen (N) and total phosphorus (P) from 133 large agricultural watersheds in the United States and factors affecting nutrient transport were evaluated using empirical regression models. After controlling for anthropogenic inputs and other landscape factors affecting nutrient transport-such as runoff, precipitation, slope, number of reservoirs, i
Authors
Lori A. Sprague, Jo Ann M. Gronberg
Nitrate in the Mississippi River and its tributaries, 1980 to 2008: Are we making progress?
Changes in nitrate concentration and flux between 1980 and 2008 at eight sites in the Mississippi River basin were determined using a new statistical method that accommodates evolving nitrate behavior over time and produces flow-normalized estimates of nitrate concentration and flux that are independent of random variations in streamflow. The results show that little consistent progress has been m
Authors
Lori A. Sprague, Robert M. Hirsch, Brent T. Aulenbach
Trends in suspended-sediment loads and concentrations in the Mississippi River Basin, 1950–2009
Trends in loads and concentrations of suspended sediment and suspended sand generally were downward for stations within the Mississippi River Basin during the 60-, 34-, and 12-year periods analyzed. Sediment transport in the lower Mississippi River has historically been, and continues to be, most closely correlative to sediment contributions from the Missouri River, which generally carried the lar
Authors
David C. Heimann, Lori A. Sprague, Dale W. Blevins
A Web-Based Decision Support System for Assessing Regional Water-Quality Conditions and Management Actions
The U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Assessment Program has completed a number of water-quality prediction models for nitrogen and phosphorus for the conterminous United States as well as for regional areas of the nation. In addition to estimating water-quality conditions at unmonitored streams, the calibrated SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes (SPARROW) models c
Authors
N.L. Booth, E.J. Everman, I.-L. Kuo, L. Sprague, L. Murphy
Nutrient sources and transport in the Missouri River Basin, with emphasis on the effects of irrigation and reservoirs
SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes (SPARROW) models were used to relate instream nutrient loads to sources and factors influencing the transport of nutrients in the Missouri River Basin. Agricultural inputs from fertilizer and manure were the largest nutrient sources throughout a large part of the basin, although atmospheric and urban inputs were important sources in some are
Authors
J.B. Brown, L.A. Sprague, J.A. Dupree
The quality of our nation's waters: Nutrients in the nation's streams and groundwater, 1992-2004
National Findings and Their ImplicationsAlthough the use of artificial fertilizer has supported increasing food production to meet the needs of a growing population, increases in nutrient loadings from agricultural and, to a lesser extent, urban sources have resulted in nutrient concentrations in many streams and parts of aquifers that exceed standards for protection of human health and (or) aquat
Authors
Neil M. Dubrovsky, Karen R. Burow, Gregory M. Clark, JoAnn M. Gronberg, Pixie A. Hamilton, Kerie J. Hitt, David K. Mueller, Mark D. Munn, Bernard T. Nolan, Larry J. Puckett, Michael G. Rupert, Terry M. Short, Norman E. Spahr, Lori A. Sprague, William G. Wilber