Moreo, M.T., Damar, N.D., and Laczniak, R.J., 2008, ET--the key to improving water budgets in the Southwest: Southwest Hydrology, v. 7, no. 1, p. 28.
Michael Moreo (Former Employee)
Science and Products
Date published: December 5, 2017
Science in the Colorado River Basin
The Colorado River is one of the longest rivers in the Western United States. It begins in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and flows southwestward until it reaches Mexico where it becomes a small stream or dry riverbed. The Colorado River forms the border between southeastern Nevada and northwestern Arizona. In Nevada, Hoover Dam and Davis Dam control the flow of the river and create two...
Attribution: Nevada Water Science Center
Date published: June 2, 2017
Status: Active Groundwater Discharge by Evapotranspiration from Areas of Spring-Fed Riparian Vegetation, Stump Spring and Hiko Springs, Nev.
Stump Spring has been designated as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and Hiko Springs currently is in the designation process. Both springs flow intermittently in drainages where the depth to groundwater is shallow. The shallow groundwater flowing to and from the springs sustain scarce desert riparian habitats. BLM has recognized a need for...
Contacts: Michael Moreo
Attribution: Nevada Water Science Center
Date published: May 26, 2017
Status: Active Evaporation from Lake Mead and Lake Mohave, Lower Colorado River Basin, Nevada and Arizona
The Bureau of Reclamation currently operates a model that projects future Colorado River reservoir volumes and potential dam operations based on current and forecasted hydrologic conditions, and operational policies and guidelines (the 24-Month Study). Each month a water budget is developed and Colorado River reservoir...
Contacts: Michael Moreo
Attribution: Nevada Water Science Center
Date published: April 27, 2017
Status: Completed Groundwater Discharge by Evapotranspiration, Flow of Water in Unsaturated Soil, and Stable Isotope Water Sourcing in Areas of Sparse Vegetation, Amargosa Desert, Nye County, Nevada
The USGS conducted a study to evaluate the potential for groundwater discharge from sparsely vegetated areas in the Amargosa Desert. The study objectives were to: (1) compute groundwater discharge based on evapotranspiration and precipitation measurements at instrumented sites, and (2) improve understanding of hydrologic-continuum processes controlling groundwater discharge through analysis of...
Contacts: Michael Moreo
Attribution: Nevada Water Science Center
Date published: October 22, 2015
Evaporation data from Lake Mead and Lake Mohave, Nevada and Arizona, March 2010 through April 2015
Evaporation data from Lake Mead and Lake Mohave. USGS and Bureau of Reclamation are cooperating on a multi-phase study to improve 24-Month Study model projections by improving monthly estimates of evaporation from Lake Mead and Lake Mohave.
Attribution: Nevada Water Science Center
Year Published: 2020
Estimates of groundwater discharge by evapotranspiration, Stump Spring and Hiko Springs, Clark County, southern Nevada, 2016–18
This report documents methodology and results of a study that estimated groundwater discharge by evapotranspiration (GWET) from phreatophytic vegetation in two desert riparian areas with ephemeral spring discharge in Clark County, southern Nevada. The phreatophytes consisted primarily of western honey mesquite [Prosopis glandulosa var. ...
Moreo, Michael T.; Buto, Susan G.; Smith, David W.; Nelson, Nora C.Attribution: Nevada Water Science Center, Water Resources
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Moreo, M.T., Buto, S.G., Smith, D.W., and Nelson, N.C., 2020, Estimates of groundwater discharge by evapotranspiration, Stump Spring and Hiko Springs, Clark County, southern Nevada, 2016–18: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2020–5075, 39 p., https://doi.org/ 10.3133/ sir20205075.
Year Published: 2018
Shrubland carbon sink depends upon winter water availability in the warm deserts of North America
Global-scale studies suggest that dryland ecosystems dominate an increasing trend in the magnitude and interannual variability of the land CO2 sink. However, such model-based analyses are poorly constrained by measured CO2 exchange in open shrublands, which is the most common global land cover type, covering ∼14% of Earth’s surface. Here...
Biederman, Joel A. ; Scott, Russell L.; John A. Arnone; Jasoni, Richard L. ; Litvak, Marcy E.; Moreo, Michael T.; Papuga, Shirley A.; Ponce-Campos, Guillermo E.; Schreiner-McGraw, Adam P. ; Vivoni, Enrique R.Attribution: Environmental Health, Nevada Water Science Center, Environmental Health, Water Resources, Toxic Substances Hydrology Program, United States of America
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Biederman, J.A., Scott, R.L., Arnone III, J.A., Jasoni, R.L., Litvak, M.E., Moreo, M.T., Papuga, S.A., Ponce-Campos, G.E., Schreiner-McGraw, A.P., Vivoni, E.R., 2018, Shrubland carbon sink depends upon winter water availability in the warm deserts of North America: Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, v. 249, p. 407-419, url: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168192317303787.
Year Published: 2017
A process to estimate net infiltration using a site-scale water-budget approach, Rainier Mesa, Nevada National Security Site, Nevada, 2002–05
This report documents a process used to estimate net infiltration from precipitation, evapotranspiration (ET), and soil data acquired at two sites on Rainier Mesa. Rainier Mesa is a groundwater recharge area within the Nevada National Security Site where recharged water flows through bedrock fractures to a deep (450 meters) water table. The U.S....
Smith, David W.; Moreo, Michael T.; Garcia, C. Amanda; Halford, Keith J.; Fenelon, Joseph M.Attribution: Nevada Water Science Center, Water Resources
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Smith, D.W., Moreo, M.T., Garcia, C.A., Halford, K.J., and Fenelon, J.M., 2017, A process to estimate net infiltration using a site-scale water-budget approach, Rainier Mesa, Nevada National Security Site, Nevada, 2002–05: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2017-5078, 22 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20175078.
Year Published: 2017
Groundwater discharge by evapotranspiration, flow of water in unsaturated soil, and stable isotope water sourcing in areas of sparse vegetation, Amargosa Desert, Nye County, Nevada
This report documents methodology and results of a study to evaluate groundwater discharge by evapotranspiration (GWET) in sparsely vegetated areas of Amargosa Desert and improve understanding of hydrologic-continuum processes controlling groundwater discharge. Evapotranspiration and GWET rates were computed and characterized at three sites over 2...
Moreo, Michael T.; Andraski, Brian J.; Garcia, C. AmandaAttribution: Nevada Water Science Center, Water Resources
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Moreo, M.T., Andraski, B.J., and Garcia, C.A., 2017, Groundwater discharge by evapotranspiration, flow of water in unsaturated soil, and stable isotope water sourcing in areas of sparse vegetation, Amargosa Desert, Nye County, Nevada: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2017–5079, 55 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20175079.
Year Published: 2016
Delineation of the Pahute Mesa–Oasis Valley groundwater basin, Nevada
This report delineates the Pahute Mesa–Oasis Valley (PMOV) groundwater basin, where recharge occurs, moves downgradient, and discharges to Oasis Valley, Nevada. About 5,900 acre-feet of water discharges annually from Oasis Valley, an area of springs and seeps near the town of Beatty in southern Nevada. Radionuclides in groundwater beneath Pahute...
Fenelon, Joseph M.; Halford, Keith J.; Moreo, Michael T.View Citation
Fenelon, J.M., Halford, K.J., and Moreo, M.T., 2016, Delineation of the Pahute Mesa–Oasis Valley groundwater basin, Nevada (ver. 1.1, May 2016): U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2015–5175, 40 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/sir20155175.
Year Published: 2014
Groundwater discharge by evapotranspiration, Dixie Valley, west-central Nevada, March 2009-September 2011
With increasing population growth and land-use change, urban communities in the desert Southwest are progressively looking toward remote basins to supplement existing water supplies. Pending applications by Churchill County for groundwater appropriations from Dixie Valley, Nevada, a primarily undeveloped basin east of the Carson Desert, have...
Garcia, C. Amanda; Huntington, Jena M; Buto, Susan G.; Moreo, Michael T.; Smith, J. LaRue; Andraski, Brian J.Attribution: Nevada Water Science Center, Water Resources
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Groundwater discharge by evapotranspiration, Dixie Valley, west-central Nevada, March 2009-September 2011; 2014; PP; 1805; Garcia, C. Amanda; Huntington, Jena M; Buto, Susan G.; Moreo, Michael T.; Smith, J. LaRue; Andraski, Brian J.
Year Published: 2014
Hydroclimate of the Spring Mountains and Sheep Range, Clark County, Nevada
Precipitation, potential evapotranspiration, and actual evapotranspiration often are used to characterize the hydroclimate of a region. Quantification of these parameters in mountainous terrains is difficult because limited access often hampers the collection of representative ground data. To fulfill a need to characterize ecological zones in the...
Moreo, Michael T.; Senay, Gabriel B.; Flint, Alan L.; Damar, Nancy A.; Laczniak, Randell J.; Hurja, JamesAttribution: Nevada Water Science Center, Water Resources
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Hydroclimate of the Spring Mountains and Sheep Range, Clark County, Nevada; 2014; SIR; 2014-5142; Moreo, Michael T.; Senay, Gabriel; Flint, Alan L.; Damar, Nancy A.; Laczniak, Randell J.; Hurja, James
Year Published: 2013
Evaporation from Lake Mead, Nevada and Arizona, March 2010 through February 2012
Evaporation from Lake Mead was measured using the eddy-covariance method for the 2-year period starting March 2010 and ending February 2012. When corrected for energy imbalances, annual eddy-covariance evaporation was 2,074 and 1,881 millimeters (81.65 and 74.07 inches), within the range of previous estimates. There was a 9-percent decrease in the...
Moreo, Michael T.; Swancar, AmyAttribution: Nevada Water Science Center, Water Resources
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Evaporation from Lake Mead, Nevada and Arizona, March 2010 through February 2012; 2013; SIR; 2013-5229; Moreo, Michael T.;Swancar, Amy
Year Published: 2012
Transient effects on groundwater chemical compositions from pumping of supply wells at the Nevada National Security Site, 1951-2008
Nuclear testing and support activities at the Nevada National Security Site have required large amounts of water for construction, public consumption, drilling, fire protection, hydraulic and nuclear testing, and dust control. To supply this demand, approximately 20,000 million gallons of water have been pumped from 23 wells completed in 19...
Paces, James B.; Elliott, Peggy E.; Fenelon, Joseph M.; Laczniak, Randell J.; Moreo, Michael T.Attribution: Nevada Water Science Center, Water Resources
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Transient effects on groundwater chemical compositions from pumping of supply wells at the Nevada National Security Site, 1951-2008; 2012; SIR; 2012-5023; Paces, James B.; Elliott, Peggy E.; Fenelon, Joseph M.; Laczniak, Randell J.; Moreo, Michael T.
Year Published: 2011
Groundwater withdrawals and associated well descriptions for the Nevada National Security Site, Nye County, Nevada, 1951-2008
From 1951 to 2008, groundwater withdrawals totaled more than 25,000 million gallons from wells on and directly adjacent to the Nevada National Security Site. Total annual groundwater withdrawals ranged from about 30 million gallons in 1951 to as much as 1,100 million gallons in 1989. Annual withdrawals from individual wells ranged from 0 million...
Elliott, Peggy E.; Moreo, Michael T.Attribution: Nevada Water Science Center, Water Resources
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Groundwater withdrawals and associated well descriptions for the Nevada National Security Site, Nye County, Nevada, 1951-2008; 2011; DS; 567; Elliott, Peggy E.; Moreo, Michael T.
Year Published: 2011
Data network, collection, and analysis in the Diamond Valley flow system, central Nevada
Future groundwater development and its effect on future municipal, irrigation, and alternative energy uses in the Diamond Valley flow system are of concern for officials in Eureka County, Nevada. To provide a better understanding of the groundwater resources, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Eureka County, commenced a multi-phase...
Knochenmus, Lari A.; Berger, David L.; Moreo, Michael T.; Smith, J. LaRueAttribution: Nevada Water Science Center, Water Resources
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Data network, collection, and analysis in the Diamond Valley flow system, central Nevada; 2011; OFR; 2011-1089; Knochenmus, Lari A.; Berger, David L.; Moreo, Michael T.; Smith, J. LaRue
Year Published: 2008
Update to the Ground-Water Withdrawals Database for the Death Valley Regional Ground-Water Flow System, Nevada and California, 1913-2003
Ground-water withdrawal estimates from 1913 through 2003 for the Death Valley regional ground-water flow system are compiled in an electronic database to support a regional, three-dimensional, transient ground-water flow model. This database updates a previously published database that compiled estimates of ground-water withdrawals for 1913-1998....
Moreo, Michael T.; Justet, LeighAttribution: Nevada Water Science Center, Water Resources
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Update to the Ground-Water Withdrawals Database for the Death Valley Regional Ground-Water Flow System, Nevada and California, 1913-2003; 2008; DS; 340; Moreo, Michael T.; Justet, Leigh