Virginia (Ginny) McGuire is a Hydrologist for the U.S. Geological Survey Nebraska Water Science Center in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Virginia (Ginny) McGuire has worked as a hydrologist for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Nebraska Water Science Center since April 1992. In 2013, she became the Center's Groundwater Specialist; in 2017, she became the Center's Report Specialist. Ginny has worked on a variety of projects dealing with aquifer characteristics, groundwater quality,and hydrogeologic framework.
Professional Experience
2016-present: Part of the groundwater section of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain study
2013-present: As the Center's Groundwater Specialist, oversees groundwater data in the USGS databases.
1997-present: Project chief for the water-level monitoring study for the High Plains aquifer
2013-2017: Part of National Brackish Groundwater Assessment team
1996-2014 Project chief for the several groundwater quality studies
1992-1996 Provided GIS and field/office support for groundwater studies
Education and Certifications
B.S. Math, Creighton University, Omaha, NE
M.S. Geology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE
Science and Products
High Plains Water-Level Monitoring Study
Groundwater-Quality Monitoring near Ashland, Nebraska
Integrating GRACE Satellite and Ground-based Estimates of Groundwater Storage Changes
Datasets of depth to water, spring 2016, 2018, and 2020, and spring-to-spring water-level change 2016-18, 2018-20, and 2016-20, Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer
Spatial data set of mapped water-level changes in the High Plains aquifer, predevelopment (about 1950) to 2017 and 2015 to 2017
Groundwater levels and other covariates useful for statistical modeling for the Mississippi River Valley Alluvial aquifer, Mississippi Alluvial Plain
Datasets used to map the potentiometric surface, Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer, spring 2020
Datasets used to map the potentiometric surface, Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer, spring 2018
Altitude of the potentiometric surface in the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer, spring 2020
Altitude of the potentiometric surface in the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer, spring 2018
Potentiometric surface of the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer, spring 2016
Water-level changes in the High Plains aquifer, Republican River Basin in Colorado, Kansas, and Nebraska, 2002 to 2015
Base of principal aquifer for the Elkhorn-Loup model area, North-Central Nebraska
Water-level and recoverable water in storage changes, High Plains aquifer, predevelopment to 2017 and 2015–17
Methods to quality assure, plot, summarize, interpolate, and extend groundwater-level information—Examples for the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer
Water-level and recoverable water in storage changes, High Plains aquifer, predevelopment to 2015 and 2013–15
Brackish groundwater in the United States
Water-level changes and change in water in storage in the High Plains aquifer, predevelopment to 2013 and 2011-13
Water-level and storage changes in the High Plains aquifer, predevelopment to 2011 and 2009-11
Groundwater depletion and sustainability of irrigation in the US High Plains and Central Valley
Saturated thickness and water in storage in the High Plains aquifer, 2009, and water-level changes and changes in water in storage in the High Plains aquifer, 1980 to 1995, 1995 to 2000, 2000 to 2005, and 2005 to 2009
Altitude, age, and quality of groundwater, Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District, eastern Nebraska, 1992 to 2009
Changes in water levels and storage in the High Plains Aquifer, predevelopment to 2009
Water-level changes in the High Plains aquifer, predevelopment to 2009, 2007-08, and 2008-09, and change in water in storage, predevelopment to 2009
USGS library for S-PLUS for Windows -- Release 4.0
Source code in R to quality assure, plot, summarize, interpolate, and extend groundwater-level information, visGWDB---Groundwater-level informatics with demonstration for the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer
Science and Products
- Science
High Plains Water-Level Monitoring Study
The High Plains aquifer underlies 111.8 million acres (about 175,000 square miles) in parts of eight States—Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. In response to a directive from Congress, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with local, state, and federal entities, has collected water-level data from wells screened in the High Plains...Groundwater-Quality Monitoring near Ashland, Nebraska
Since 1991, the USGS Nebraska Water Science Center has collected water samples from six monitoring wells in the Platte River alluvial aquifer near Ashland. Analytes include major and trace metals, nutrients, dissolved organic carbon, pesticides and their degradates, and arsenic species. The samples are analyzed by the USGS National Water Quality Laboratory. The USGS also collects additional...Integrating GRACE Satellite and Ground-based Estimates of Groundwater Storage Changes
Groundwater storage depletion is a critical issue for many of the major aquifers in the U.S., particularly during intense droughts. The GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) satellites launched in 2002, with sensors designed to measure changes in the Earth’s gravitational field at large spatial scales (≥ ~200,000 km2). These changes are primarily driven by changes in water storage on the... - Data
Datasets of depth to water, spring 2016, 2018, and 2020, and spring-to-spring water-level change 2016-18, 2018-20, and 2016-20, Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer
This data release consists of 4 data sets--rasters of generalized depth to water in the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer (MRVA) in spring 2016, 2018, and 2020 and a point file of the wells with water-level measurements used to create the depth to water rasters and, for each well with applicable data, the values of water-level change from spring 2016 to spring 2018, spring 2018 to spring 2Spatial data set of mapped water-level changes in the High Plains aquifer, predevelopment (about 1950) to 2017 and 2015 to 2017
The High Plains aquifer underlies 111.8 million acres (about 175,000 square miles) in parts of eight States—Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. Water-level declines began in parts of the High Plains aquifer soon after the beginning of substantial irrigation with groundwater in the aquifer area (about 1950). This data release contains the data used tGroundwater levels and other covariates useful for statistical modeling for the Mississippi River Valley Alluvial aquifer, Mississippi Alluvial Plain
Groundwater-level data, in conjunction with attendant metadata and covariates (predictor variables) data, for the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer (MRVA) are used to support statistical and process-based numerical modeling. This page represents a collection of groundwater-level data within the expanse of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain (MAP) (Painter and Westerman, 2018) and are derived frDatasets used to map the potentiometric surface, Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer, spring 2020
A potentiometric-surface map for spring 2020 was created for the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer (MRVA), which was referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88), using most of the available groundwater-altitude data from wells and surface-water-altitude data from streamgages. The location and water-level altitude in feet for these wells and streamgages in spring 2020Datasets used to map the potentiometric surface, Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer, spring 2018
A potentiometric-surface map for spring 2018 was created for the Mississippi River Valley alluvial (MRVA) aquifer, which was referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88), using most of the available groundwater-altitude data from wells and surface-water-altitude data from streamgages. Most of the wells were measured annually or one time, after installation, but some wells were - Maps
Altitude of the potentiometric surface in the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer, spring 2020
The purpose of this report is to present a potentiometric-surface map for the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer (MRVA). The source data for the map were groundwater-altitude data from wells measured manually or continuously generally in spring 2020 and from the altitude of the top of the water surface measured generally on April 9, 2020, in rivers in the area.Altitude of the potentiometric surface in the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer, spring 2018
A potentiometric-surface map for spring 2018 was created for the Mississippi River Valley alluvial (MRVA) aquifer using available groundwater-altitude data from 1,126 wells completed in the MRVA aquifer and from the altitude of the top of the water surface in area rivers from 66 streamgages. Personnel from Arkansas Natural Resources Commission, Arkansas Department of Health, Arkansas Geological SuPotentiometric surface of the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer, spring 2016
A potentiometric surface map for spring 2016 was created for the Mississippi River Valley alluvial (MRVA) aquifer using selected available groundwater-altitude data from wells and surface-water-altitude data from streamgages. Most of the wells were measured annually or one time after installation, but some wells were measured more than one time or continually; streamgages are typically operated coWater-level changes in the High Plains aquifer, Republican River Basin in Colorado, Kansas, and Nebraska, 2002 to 2015
The High Plains aquifer underlies 111.8 million acres (about 175,000 square miles) in parts of eight States—Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. More than 95 percent of the water withdrawn from the High Plains aquifer is used for irrigation. Water-level declines began in parts of the High Plains aquifer soon after the beginning of substantial irrigatiBase of principal aquifer for the Elkhorn-Loup model area, North-Central Nebraska
In Nebraska, the water managers in the Natural Resources Districts and the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources are concerned with the effect of ground-water withdrawal on the availability of surface water and the long-term effects of ground-water withdrawal on ground- and surface-water resources. In north-central Nebraska, in the Elkhorn and Loup River Basins, ground water is used for irrigat - Publications
Filter Total Items: 41
Water-level and recoverable water in storage changes, High Plains aquifer, predevelopment to 2017 and 2015–17
The High Plains aquifer underlies 111.8 million acres (about 175,000 square miles) in parts of eight States—Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. Water-level declines began in parts of the High Plains aquifer soon after the beginning of substantial groundwater irrigation (about 1950). This report presents water-level changes and change in recoverable wAuthorsVirginia L. McGuire, Kellan R. StrauchMethods to quality assure, plot, summarize, interpolate, and extend groundwater-level information—Examples for the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer
Large-scale computational investigations of groundwater levels are proposed to accelerate science delivery through a workflow spanning database assembly, statistics, and information synthesis and packaging. A water-availability study of the Mississippi River alluvial plain, and particularly the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer (MRVA), is ongoing. Software (visGWDBmrva) has been released aAuthorsWilliam H. Asquith, Ronald C. Seanor, Virginia L. McGuire, Wade KressWater-level and recoverable water in storage changes, High Plains aquifer, predevelopment to 2015 and 2013–15
The High Plains aquifer underlies 111.8 million acres (about 175,000 square miles) in parts of eight States—Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. Water-level declines began in parts of the High Plains aquifer soon after the beginning of substantial irrigation with groundwater in the aquifer area (about 1950). This report presents water-level changes anAuthorsVirginia L. McGuireBrackish groundwater in the United States
For some parts of the Nation, large-scale development of groundwater has caused decreases in the amount of groundwater that is present in aquifer storage and that discharges to surface-water bodies. Water supply in some areas, particularly in arid and semiarid regions, is not adequate to meet demand, and severe drought is affecting large parts of the United States. Future water demand is projectedAuthorsJennifer S. Stanton, David W. Anning, Craig J. Brown, Richard B. Moore, Virginia L. McGuire, Sharon L. Qi, Alta C. Harris, Kevin F. Dennehy, Peter B. McMahon, James R. Degnan, John Karl BöhlkeWater-level changes and change in water in storage in the High Plains aquifer, predevelopment to 2013 and 2011-13
The High Plains aquifer underlies 111.8 million acres (about 175,000 square miles) in parts of eight States—Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. Water-level declines began in parts of the High Plains aquifer soon after the beginning of substantial irrigation with groundwater in the aquifer area (about 1950). This report presents water-level changes inAuthorsVirginia L. McGuireWater-level and storage changes in the High Plains aquifer, predevelopment to 2011 and 2009-11
The High Plains aquifer underlies 111.8 million acres (175,000 square miles) in parts of eight States--Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. Water-level declines began in parts of the High Plains aquifer soon after the beginning of substantial irrigation with groundwater in the aquifer area. This report presents water-level changes in the High Plains aAuthorsVirginia L. McGuireGroundwater depletion and sustainability of irrigation in the US High Plains and Central Valley
Aquifer overexploitation could significantly impact crop production in the United States because 60% of irrigation relies on groundwater. Groundwater depletion in the irrigated High Plains and California Central Valley accounts for ∼50% of groundwater depletion in the United States since 1900. A newly developed High Plains recharge map shows that high recharge in the northern High Plains results iAuthorsBridget R. Scanlon, Claudia C. Faunt, Laurent Longuevergne, Robert C. Reedy, William M. Alley, Virginia L. McGuire, Peter B. McMahonSaturated thickness and water in storage in the High Plains aquifer, 2009, and water-level changes and changes in water in storage in the High Plains aquifer, 1980 to 1995, 1995 to 2000, 2000 to 2005, and 2005 to 2009
The High Plains aquifer underlies about 112 million acres (about 175,000 square miles) in parts of eight States—Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. Water levels declined in parts of the High Plains aquifer soon after the onset of substantial irrigation with groundwater (about 1950). This report presents the volume of saturated aquifer material and drAuthorsVirginia L. McGuire, Kris D. Lund, Brenda K. DensmoreAltitude, age, and quality of groundwater, Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District, eastern Nebraska, 1992 to 2009
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District (PMRNRD), conducted this study to map the water-level altitude of 2009 within the Elkhorn River Valley, Missouri River Valley, and Platte River Valley alluvial aquifers; to present the predevelopment potentiometric-surface altitude within the Dakota aquifer; and to describe the age and quality of grAuthorsVirginia L. McGuire, Derek W. Ryter, Amanda S. FlynnChanges in water levels and storage in the High Plains Aquifer, predevelopment to 2009
The High Plains aquifer underlies 111.8 million acres (175,000 square miles) in parts of eight States - Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. The area overlying the High Plains aquifer is one of the primary agricultural regions in the Nation. Water-level declines began in parts of the High Plains aquifer soon after the onset of substantial irrigation wAuthorsV. L. McGuireWater-level changes in the High Plains aquifer, predevelopment to 2009, 2007-08, and 2008-09, and change in water in storage, predevelopment to 2009
The High Plains aquifer underlies 111.8 million acres (175,000 square miles) in parts of eight States - Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. Water-level declines began in parts of the High Plains aquifer soon after the beginning of substantial irrigation with groundwater in the aquifer area. This report presents water-level changes in the High PlainsAuthorsV. L. McGuireUSGS library for S-PLUS for Windows -- Release 4.0
Release 4.0 of the U.S. Geological Survey S-PLUS library supercedes release 2.1. It comprises functions, dialogs, and datasets used in the U.S. Geological Survey for the analysis of water-resources data. This version does not contain ESTREND, which was in version 2.1. See Release 2.1 for information and access to that version. This library requires Release 8.1 or later of S-PLUS for Windows. S-PLAuthorsDavid L. Lorenz, Elizabeth A. Ahearn, Janet M. Carter, Timothy A. Cohn, Wendy J. Danchuk, Jeffrey W. Frey, Dennis R. Helsel, Kathy Lee, David C. Leeth, Jeffrey D. Martin, Virginia L. McGuire, Kathleen M. Neitzert, Dale M. Robertson, James R. Slack, J. Jeffrey Starn, Aldo V. Vecchia, Donald H. Wilkison, Joyce E. Williamson - Software
Source code in R to quality assure, plot, summarize, interpolate, and extend groundwater-level information, visGWDB---Groundwater-level informatics with demonstration for the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer
This page contains extensive source code in the R language supporting groundwater level informatics, and the entry point is the script visGWDB.R. The approximately 4,000 lines of aggregate code requires also extensive external dependencies. The code provides for near arbitrary-scale information processing of observations or recordings of water levels associated groundwater resources. The processin