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Post-fire Recovery Patterns in Southwestern Forests
High-severity crown fires in Southwestern dry-conifer forests — resulting from fire suppression, fuel buildups, and drought — are creating large treeless areas that are historically unprecedented in size. These recent stand-replacing fires have reset extensive portions of Southwest forest landscapes, fostering post-fire successional vegetation that can alter ecological recovery trajectories...
New Mexico Dendroecology Lab
Using tree ring analysis as a primary research tool, we conduct landscape-scale ecological research that focuses on the effects of climate variability on forest ecology, fire ecology, and ecohydrology.
We are the only tree-ring lab in New Mexico, working in close collaboration with Bandelier National Monument and Emeritus Regents’ Professor Dr. Thomas Swetnam. However, we were not the...
Study Reveals Processes that Control Uranium Bioavailability in a Freshwater Snail—Relevance to Aquatic Biota in the Grand Canyon Area
Scientists refined an existing speciation model to identify key biogeochemical processes controlling dissolved uranium bioavailability to a freshwater snail. This information is important to advance current understanding and prediction of the ecological risk posed by uranium mining to freshwater ecosystems, including federally managed lands such as in the Grand Canyon area.
Ecology of Insect-eating Bats
Bats are the only flying mammals that are active mostly at night and occur on all continents except Antarctica. Bats are ecologically diverse, with a range of species that specialize in feeding on fruit, nectar, blood, fish, small mammals, and insects. However, of the more than 1,100 known species of bats on Earth, the majority specialize in feeding on insects. In the United States for example...
HDgov: Multi-agency Website for Human Dimensions of Natural Resources
HDgov is an interactive and mobile-responsive online portal to interagency, academic, and non-government resources focused on the human dimensions of natural resource management. The web portal provides easy access to tools, publications, data, and methods that help ensure that the people side of natural resources is considered throughout the entire natural resource management process. The...
National Park Service Visitor Spending Effects
The National Park Service (NPS) manages the Nation’s most iconic destinations that attract millions of visitors from across the Nation and around the world. Trip-related spending by NPS visitors generates and supports a considerable amount of economic activity within park gateway communities. USGS economists collaborate with the National Park Service social science program to estimate NPS...
North American Waterfowl Management Plan
The ultimate success of North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP) depends on maintaining relevance to stakeholders and society. In order to be relevant, a first step is to better understand what people value in regard to waterfowl and their habitats. Without this information, NAWMP population, habitat, and people objectives may not reflect stakeholder and societal values; and management...
Economic Impacts of Ecological Restoration
Federal investments in ecosystem restoration projects protect Federal trusts, ensure public health and safety, and preserve and enhance essential ecosystem services. These investments also generate business activity and create jobs. However, limited information exists on the costs and associated economic impacts of ecosystem restoration projects due to the complexity of the “restoration...
Surveillance for the Presence of White-Nose Syndrome in the Bat Community at El Malpais National Monument, New Mexico
In 1999 and 2000, FORT conducted a survey of bats at El Malpais National Monument and adjacent lands. During this study, several species of bats were documented, including some that are known to use caves or lava-tube formations as roosts. In the winter of 2006–2007, the fungus-caused disease known as “white-nose syndrome” (WNS) began devastating populations of hibernating bat species that use...
Assessing Impacts to Ecosystems from Uranium Mining in the Grand Canyon Region
The use of uranium is an alternative energy source to petroleum products and some of the United States’ highest quality ore is located on the Colorado Plateau. However, some regions where suitable mining efforts are conducted include areas that are near important environmental resources such as National Parks that provide viewscapes and habitat for wildlife.
Volcano Hazards Assessments Help Mitigate Disasters
The Volcano Hazards Program develops long-range volcano hazards assessments. These includes a summary of the specific hazards, their impact areas, and a map showing ground-hazard zones. The assessments are also critical for planning long-term land-use and effective emergency-response measures, especially when a volcano begins to show signs of unrest.
Developing a USGS Legacy Data Inventory to Preserve and Release Historical USGS Data
Legacy data (n) - Information stored in an old or obsolete format or computer system that is, therefore, difficult to access or process. (Business Dictionary, 2016) For over 135 years, the U.S. Geological Survey has collected diverse information about the natural world and how it interacts with society. Much of this legacy information is one-of-a-kind and in danger of being lost forever...
Annual summary of ground-water conditions in Arizona, spring 1976 to spring 1977
Two small-scale maps of Arizona show (1) pumpage of ground water by areas and (2) the status of the ground-water inventory in the State. The main map, which is at a scale of 1:500,000, shows potential well production, depth of water in selected wells in spring 1977, and change in water level in selected wells from 1972 to 1977. The brief text that...
Babcock, H.M.
Annual summary of ground-water conditions in Arizona
Babcock, H.M.
Water resources of lower Colorado River-Salton Sea area as of 1971; summary report
McDonald, C.C.; Loeltz, Omar J.
Geohydrology of the Needles area, Arizona, California, and Nevada
Metzger, D.G.; Loeltz, Omar J.
Geohydrology of the Parker-Blythe-Cibola area, Arizona and California
Metzger, D.G.; Loeltz, Omar J.; Irelan, Burdge
Geohydrology of the Yuma area, Arizona and California
Olmsted, F.H.; Loeltz, Omar J.; Irelan, Burdge
Havasu Creek Flood Damage (2008)
USGS staff evaluates flood damage caused by the recent Havasu Creek Flood, August 2008.
Streamflow Measurement (2008)
USGS streamgagers make a discharge measurement in southwest Arizona.
Flood Measurement in Tucson, AZ (2008)
Footage of USGS streamgagers taking measurements on the Santa Cruz River in Arizona.
Streamflow Measurement (San Pedro River - 2008)
USGS streamgagers make a low flow measurement on the San Pedro River at Charleston.
View of sandbar on Colorado River at River Mile 65
View of reattachment sandbar located near the Carbon Creek drainage on Colorado River (River Mile 65). Photo is from the long-term sandbar monitoring remote camera time-series archives, and shows the sandbar two months after the 2008 Spring High Flow Event.
Sandbar on the Colorado River in Grand Canyon
Sandbar on the Colorado River in Grand Canyon deposited by 2008 controlled flood. The river is flowing from left to right and the location is approximately 64 miles downstream from Lees Ferry, Arizona.
Sandbar on the Colorado River in Grand Canyon
Sandbar on the Colorado River in Grand Canyon deposited by the 2008 controlled flood. The view is looking downstream and the location is approximately 65 miles downstream from Lees Ferry, Arizona.
Monsoon-Rain Flow in an Ephemeral Channel near Sierra Vista, Arizona
As part of the assessment of the binational San Pedro aquifer, the effects of urbanization on runoff in ephemeral streams was studied. Ephemeral streams are those that flow in response to precipitation. Runoff in tributaries to the San Pedro River is important in understanding the water budget of the river. In addition, in arid watersheds such as the San Pedro, flow in
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PubTalk 6/2007 — Adventures in Southwest Geology
Exploring the colorful southern Colorado Plateau in 3-D
By Philip Stoffer, Geologist
Take a colorful tour with the help of 3-D photography through some of the region's highlights:
- A plethora of parklands- Petrified Forest, Chaco Canyon, Wupatki, Grand Canyon
- High desert climate changes, past, present, and
Drilling for mineral resources near Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Drilling for mineral resources near Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Climate change combined with overlapping high-intensity land uses are likely to create conditions detrimental to the recreation economy, wildlife habitat, water availability and other resources in hyper-arid landscapes, or drylands, in the future, according to a paper published in Ecosphere
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Huérfano Butte, Santa Rita Experimental Range, Southern Arizona - 2007
More mesquite were visible, and prickly pear had replaced cholla as the dominant cacti. (Mitchel P. McClaran).
Curious cattle on the Colorado Plateau
Cattle and grazing management are important to consider when thinking about ecosystem function in water-limited ecosystems. Management style can either promote or hinder productivity. Strategic distribution of water drinkers on the rangeland is a method that ranchers and land managers use to move cattle and reduce the threat of overgrazing. These cattle are keeping watch
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A report published by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) contains a regional map and associated database that inventory 121 locations of reported natural asbestos and fibrous amphibole occurrences in the Southwestern United States, including Arizona, Nevada, and Utah.
Salt Lake City - The Bureau of Reclamation today released a final environmental assessment (FEA) and a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) that authorizes the initiation of an early-March 2008 high-flow test and fall steady flow experiment from Glen Canyon Dam downstream through the Grand Canyon
The Department of the Interior has proposed an experiment using high flows from Glen Canyon Dam to study and improve Colorado River resources in Grand Canyon National Park.
Where in Arizona are ground-water levels falling? Where are they stable or rising? How much has the water table changed since large-scale pumping has occurred?
(Flagstaff, Ariz.) An experiment using high flows from Glen Canyon Dam to study and improve Colorado River resources in Grand Canyon National Park has been proposed by the Department of the Interior.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) released a report today describing salinity levels in streams and ground water in parts of Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. The report concludes that although salinity varies widely throughout the region, levels have generally decreased in many streams during the past two decades.
The U.S. Geological Survey hosted a two-day scientific workshop that drew state and federal government scientists, and university researchers together to discuss interdisciplinary research along the US-Mexico border.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has recently released a new fact sheet/report describing investigations that have taken place in Lake Mead, Nevada and Arizona, on synthetic organic compounds.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has recently released a new fact sheet/report describing investigations that have taken place in Lake Mead, Nevada and Arizona, on synthetic organic compounds. These compounds potentially can cause endocrine disruption in common carp.
Recently collected data for endangered humpback chub (Gila cypha) in Grand Canyon suggest that the population of adult fish (age 4+) may be stabilizing after more than a decade of decline, according to biologists with the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Southwest Biological Science Center.
Recently collected data for endangered humpback chub (Gila cypha) in Grand Canyon suggest that the population of adult fish (age 4+) may be stabilizing after more than a decade of decline, according to biologists with the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Southwest Biological Science Center.
Today, June 5, 2006, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) announces the recipients of the third year of the Mineral Resources External Research Program, a grant and/or cooperative agreement opportunity designed to support minerals research.
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Locations
Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Center
Astrogeology Science Center
Phone: 928-556-7000
Fax: 928-556-7014
Western Geographic Science Center - Tucson Project Office
Western Geographic Science Center - Flagstaff Project Office
Arizona Water Science Center, Tucson Office
Phone: (520) 670-6671
Fax: (520) 670-5592
Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO)
yvowebteam@usgs.gov
Phone: 360-993-8906
Southwest Biological Science Center - Tucson, AZ, Research Station
Phone: (520) 670-6671
Fax: (520) 670-5592
Southwest Biological Science Center - Flagstaff, AZ, Research Station
Phone: 928-556-7094
Fax: 928-556-7092
Arizona Water Science Center, Flagstaff Office
Phone: (928) 556-7136
Fax: (928) 556-7112
Arizona Water Science Center, Tempe Office
Phone: (480) 736-1093
Fax: (480) 736-1356
Arizona Water Science Center, Yuma Office
Phone: (928) 782-6024
Fax: (928) 782-0268