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Streamflow-fluvial Geomorphology-riparian Vegetation Interactions
The foundation for applying science to river and riparian restoration contexts lies in a basic understanding of the factors that drive riparian vegetation dynamics. Much of our research is focused on clarifying relationships between streamflow, fluvial geomorphology, and riparian vegetation, including various feedbacks.
Status and Breeding Ecology of the Arizona Grasshopper Sparrow
The Arizona Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum ammolegus) is a disjunct race that breeds in desert grasslands of southeastern Arizona, extreme southwestern New Mexico, and adjacent parts of northern Sonora and Chihuahua, Mexico.
The New Mexico Landscapes Field Station
The New Mexico Landscapes Field Station is a place-based, globally-connected, ecological research group that studies and interprets ecosystem and wildlife dynamics, working with land managers and community leaders to deliver solutions that foster the linked health of human and natural systems.
Our partnerships, and co-location, with land management agencies provide us with opportunities...
External Microbiota of Bats as Potential Bio-control Against Wildlife Diseases
White-nose syndrome (WNS) and/or Pseudogymnoascus destructans (P.d.), the causal agent, has spread westward across 26 states and 5 provinces within the eastern United States and Canada, respectively, over a short period of time. Since its discovery there has been a search to stop the spread of this disease that has killed millions of hibernating bats in its wake. Recent collaborative work by...
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...
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
Grand Canyon sand
Grand Canyon sand was photographed with a hand-held point-and-shoot camera in a waterproof housing.
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
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
...
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).
Dr. Julio Betancourt, a U.S. Geological Survey senior scientist, was recently awarded a prestigious 2008 Presidential Rank Award. Betancourt, who has conducted groundbreaking research in how climate variability affects ecosystems, is also an adjunct professor at the University of Arizona, where he received his graduate degrees.
Local planetary geologist Chris Okubo is on a mission to understand the past roles of groundwater and faulting on Mars by studying similar locations on Earth. Okubo works in the Astrogeology Research Program for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in Flagstaff.
Long-term trends in landscape conditions have significantly reduced sagebrush habitat and populations of greater sage-grouse, according to a new study examining the bird's chances of survival.
The Upper San Pedro Partnership was recognized with the Department of the Interior's Cooperative Conservation Award today.
Time lapse videos of sandbars from the Glen Canyon Dam high flow experiment have been released by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
Competition for water is becoming more intense as the nation's population continues to grow, increasing the demands for water use in agriculture and power production.
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.
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Locations
Astrogeology Science Center
Phone: 928-556-7000
Fax: 928-556-7014
Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Center
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 - Flagstaff, AZ, Research Station
Phone: 928-556-7094
Fax: 928-556-7092
Southwest Biological Science Center - Tucson, AZ, Research Station
Phone: (520) 670-6671
Fax: (520) 670-5592
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