Unified Interior Regions
Arizona
The Southwest Region includes California, Nevada, and Arizona. The Regional Office, headquartered in Sacramento, provides Center oversight and support, facilitates internal and external collaborations, and works to further USGS strategic science directions.
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Native Plant Materials for Ecological Restoration of Degraded Drylands
There is a growing consensus among resource managers to use native plant materials for ecological restoration of degraded drylands. Some plant species may be suitable for re-introduction across broad environmental gradients. Other species may fail under narrower conditions, or their re-introduction may have genetic consequences for local ecotypes, particularly when adapting to future climate...
Conservation of Rare, Sensitive, and At-risk Desert Plant Species
The Mojave Desert is among the hottest and driest of the North American drylands, but in spite of these extreme conditions, and in part because of them, a diverse flora exists. This diversity of rare, endemic, and endangered species is threatened by the complex interaction between fluctuating climate and human-mediated disturbances. USGS studies have identified rare species “hotspots” for...
Colorado Plateaus Regional Groundwater Availability
Pilot phase
This study is in a pilot phase during fiscal years 2017 and 2018. The purpose of the pilot phase is to identify possible technical challenges of using the USGS code GSFLOW for simulating groundwater and surface-water flow in the Colorado Plateau principal aquifer system. During the pilot phase, the project will evaluate GSFLOW in the San Juan River Basin (...
Land Treatment Digital Library
The LTDL was created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to catalog information about land treatments on Federal lands in the western United States for all interested parties. The flexible framework of the library allows for the storage of a wide variety of data in different formats. The LTDL currently stores previously established land treatments or what often are called legacy data. The...
RestoreNet: Distributed Field Trial Network for Dryland Restoration
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) researchers and land managers are co-producing a network of restoration field trial sites on DOI and surrounding lands in the southwestern U.S. The network systematically tests restoration treatments across a broad range of landscape, soil, and climate conditions. Each site in the network is used to test suitable seed mixes and treatments that promote plant...
Occurrence and Potential Risk of Microplastics in Lake Mead and the Delaware River
There is mounting evidence that microplastics present a significant threat to aquatic organisms. Microplastics – defined as plastic particles less than 5 mm in diameter – come from many different sources, including synthetic textiles, industrial waste products, personal care products, and the breakdown of litter, car tires, and other objects. This study will assess the occurrence of...
National Water-Quality Program Monitoring Networks, Arizona, 2013-2023
The Arizona Water Science Center collects water-quality data from stream and aquifer sites in networks that are part of the National Water-Quality Program (NWQP) and the National Stream Quality Accounting Network (NASQAN).
Ecosystem Modelling and Decision Support
The Ecosystem Modelling and Decision Support Project seeks to understand how drivers of ecosystem change like wildfire, drought, and land use affected past spatial and temporal patterns of vegetation communities and wildlife. Research methods involve 1) analyzing field-collected information (e.g. long-term plot/transect data, repeat photography) on soils, vegetation, and/or wildlife with...
Hydrocarbon Monitoring in Response to Personal Watercraft Regulation at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contamination related to watercraft use is one of the most significant water-quality issues affecting Lake Powell at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (GLCA). Water quality in Lake Powell is important as the lake is a water source for public and agricultural consumption. In addition, more than 2 million people visit GLCA annually, and most of these...
Identification and Analysis of Points of Diversion along the Lower Colorado River in Support of Decree Accounting
In the United States, the Colorado River Compact of 1922 apportions the waters of the Colorado River between the upper basin States and the lower basin States (U.S. Congress, 1948, p. A17-A22). The requirement for participation of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) is stated in Article V. Water in the lower Colorado River is apportioned among the States of...
Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Bacterial Indicators and Microbial Source Tracking within Tumacácori National Historical Park and the Santa Cruz River Watershed
Elevated levels of bacteria have been measured by the USGS, National Park Service, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), and other agencies, in the Upper Santa Cruz River, including within the reach at Tumacácori National Historical Park (TUMA). Indicators of pathogens in the river at TUMA are at levels that are of great concern to TUMA personnel responsible for safeguarding two...
Occurrence, fate, transport, and ecological effects of aerially applied herbicides in the effort to control invasive buffelgrass (Pennisetum ciliare syn. Cenchrus ciliaris) in Saguaro National Park
The Sonoran Desert lands that the Saguaro National Park (SAGU) has been tasked to protect are facing an unprecedented threat from buffelgrass (Cenhrus ciliaris), an invasive perennial grass that was added to Arizona’s noxious weed list in 2005. The buffelgrass invasion has been so pervasive that the U.S. Department of Interior issued a declaration in 2010 which highlighted a need for...
Estimates of average annual tributary inflow to the lower Colorado River, Hoover Dam to Mexico
Estimates of tributary inflow by basin or area and by surface water or groundwater are presented in this report and itemized by subreaches in tabular form. Total estimated average annual tributary inflow to the Colorado River between Hoover Dam and Mexico, excluding the measured tributaries, is 96,000 acre-ft or about 1% of the 7.5 million acre-ft...
Owen-Joyce, Sandra J.
Progress report on the ground-water, surface-water, and quality-of-water monitoring program, Black Mesa area, northeastern Arizona, 1987
The N aquifer is an important source of water in the 5,400 sq-mi Black Mesa area on the Navajo and Hopi Indian Reservations. The Black Mesa monitoring program is designed to monitor long-term effects on the groundwater resources of the mesa as a result of withdrawals from the aquifer by the strip-mining operation of Peabody Coal Company....
Hill, G.W.; Sottilare, J.P.
Annual summary of ground-water conditions in Arizona, spring 1984 to spring 1985
In arid and semiarid regions such as Arizona, the availability of adequate water supplies has a significant influence on the type and extent of economic development. About two-thirds of the water used in the State is groundwater. The nature and extent of the groundwater reservoirs must be known for proper management of this valuable resource. The...
Evapotranspiration estimates using remote-sensing data, Parker and Palo Verde valleys, Arizona and California
In 1981 the U.S. Geological Survey established an experimental project to assess the possible and practical use of remote sensing data to estimate evapotranspiration as an approximation of consumptive use in the lower Colorado River flood plain. The project area was in Parker Valley, Arizona. The approach selected was to measure the areas covered...
Raymond, L.H.; Rezin, K.V.
Progress report on Black Mesa monitoring program; 1985-86
Hill, George W.; Whetten, Marlin I. Annual summary of ground-water conditions in Arizona, Spring 1983 to Spring 1984
A summary map shows various aspects of groundwater availability in Arizona. Potential well production, in increments of 0 to 10 gpm, 10 to 500 gpm, and 50 to 2500 gpm (average 1000 gpm) os the primary emphasis of the map; however, data on changes in water level from spring 1983 to spring 1984, status of groundwater inventory, and estimated...
Progress report on Black Mesa monitoring program, 1984
The N aquifer is an important source of water in the 5,400 square-mile Black Mesa area on the Navajo and Hopi Indian Reservations. The project is designed to monitor long-term effects on the ground-water resources of the mesa as a result of withdrawals from the aquifer by a strip-mining operation. Withdrawals from the N aquifer by the mine have...
Hill, G.W.
A method for estimating ground-water return flow to the Colorado River in the Palo Verde-Cibola area, California and Arizona
Owen-Joyce, Sandra J.
A method for estimating ground-water return flow to the Colorado River in the Parker area, Arizona and California
Leake, S.A.
Annual summary of ground-water conditions in Arizona, spring 1982 to spring 1983
The withdrawal of ground water was slightly less than 4.2 million acre-feet in Arizona in 1982, which is about 1.2 million acre-feet less than the amount withdrawn in 1981. Most of the decrease in 1982 was in the amount of ground water used for irrigation in the Basin and Range lowlands province. Through 1982, slightly more than 193 million acre-...
A method for estimating ground-water return flow to the lower Colorado River in the Yuma area, Arizona and California
Loeltz, Omar J.; Leake, S.A.
A method for estimating ground-water return flow to the lower Colorado River in the Yuma area, Arizona and California; executive summary
Loeltz, Omar J.; Leake, S.A.
Earth.Science.Art Project
This collaborative project pairs artists from California's Central Coast and San Francisco Bay Area with scientists from the Santa Cruz-based U.S. Geological Survey's Pacific Marine and Coastal Science Center. The artist create work inspired by scientific research.
Animal Interactions at Wind Energy Facilities – American Black Bear
This American black bear and cub duo was seen simply investigating a tortoise burrow, and although it is surprising to see a black bear so low in elevation, it isn't impossible. The study site, Mesa, sits at the intersection of multiple ecosystems (Sonoran Desert, Mojave Desert, montane, and coastal sage scrub). Therefore, the bears could have come down from the montane
Animal Interactions at Wind Energy Facilities – Coyotes
Coyotes were the second most frequently observed mammalian predator on the trail cameras. Coyotes are considered one of the primary predators of desert tortoises. In this instance, a coyote is passing by a burrow when it suddenly has a change in attention as it is passing by. It then approaches the burrow and sniffs all around the burrow entrance (including the apron and
USGS and US Forest Service staff installing dust monitoring equipment
USGS and US Forest Service staff installing dust monitoring equipment at a uranium mine near Grand Canyon National Park.
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
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Truck sprays herbicide in Idaho as part of a restoration effort.
Bureau of Land Management truck sprays herbicide in southwestern Idaho as part of a restoration effort.
An examination of long-term data for lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management finds that land treatments in the southwestern United States are increasingly large, expensive and related to fire and invasive species control.
Streamflow Gaging Station and Measurement on San Pedro River, AZ
USGS employee, Hanna Coy, talks about stream gauging.
WERC Mountain Bluebird Eating Mistletoe Berry
A mountain bluebird eats a giant mistletoe berry in an ash tree in Sedona, Arizona (Oak Creek). These bluebirds, and many other types of birds, rely on mistletoe berries for sustenance. As a result, they also help distribute the mistletoe seeds.
Sandbar growth Grand Canyon following controlled flood
Picture showing the increased size of the sandbar after the November 2012 controlled flood from the Glen Canyon Dam. This location is 65 miles downstream from Lees Ferry and the view is looking downstream. These and additional photographs depicting the results of the recent controlled floods can be viewed online.
Sandbar in Grand Canyon
Picture showing the size of the sandbar before the November 2012 controlled flood from the Glen Canyon Dam. This location is 65 miles downstream from Lees Ferry and the view is looking downstream. These and additional photographs depicting the results of the recent controlled floods can be viewed online.
USGS Fun
Working at the USGS can be fun. These student employees were given wonderful opportunities and made lasting friendships while working at the USGS.
Continuous Slope Area Method: Sycamore Creek, AZ
A video depicting the installation & operation of Continuous Slope Area gage and radar sensor, installed after the Sunflower Wild Fire on Sycamore Creek to measure streamflow from the Sunflower burned area. The streamflow data is used to provide flood warning to communities affected by runoff from the burned areas and for collecting streamflow data from areas that have
University of Arizona Sensors on Amazon Observation Tower
Sensors installed by University of Arizona scientists on this 213-foot (65-meter) tower near Santarém, Brazil are used by USGS scientists and U.S., Brazilian and Australian collaborators to improve understanding of how seasonal variations in climate affect photosynthesis and the uptake of atmospheric carbon dioxide by tropical forests.
Tapajós National Forest, near
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The sand dunes among which Navajos have eked out austere livings for generations are growing fast and becoming mobile as the climate changes, says U.S. Geological Survey geologist Dr. Margaret Hiza Redsteer, whose interviews with elders and historical research augment her decade-long research on Navajo Nation land.
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – The sand dunes among which Navajos have eked out austere livings for generations are growing fast and becoming mobile as the climate changes, says U.S. Geological Survey geologist Dr. Margaret Hiza Redsteer, whose interviews with elders and historical research augment her decade-long research on Navajo Nation land.
A dust storm that rolled across the Arizona desert on Tuesday, October 4, 2011, effectively blinded motorists, leading to a large string of motor vehicle crashes, multiple injuries, and at least one death.
Over the last 70 years, groundwater in Arizona's alluvial basins was depleted by more than 74.5 million acre-feet, or approximately three times the maximum storage of Lake Powell.
To help Arizona communities prepare for flooding in the aftermath of severe wildfires, the U.S. Geological Survey has installed new stream gages as part of early flood-warning systems and developed maps to identify areas at possible risk of debris flows.
As the largest fire in the history of the state of Arizona continues to burn, emergency managers and responders are using satellite data from a variety of instruments to plan both immediate firefighting containment strategies and mitigation efforts once the fires are out.
The second largest fire in Arizona history, the Wallow Fire is graphically depicted by this Landsat image, taken June 7, which shows burning in the mountains of eastern Arizona near the border with New Mexico.
Recent Landsat satellite data captured by the U.S. Geological Survey and NASA on May 10 show the major flooding of the Mississippi River around Memphis, Tenn. and along the state borders of Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, and Arkansas as seen from 438 miles above the Earth.
A new groundwater model of the interconnected aquifers in central and northern Arizona was released today by the U.S. Geological Survey, following a multi-year development effort that involved the Arizona Department of Water Resources and regional cooperators.
Forests should be managed according to their respective, specific fire ecology — not whole-scale fire suppression or one-size-fits-all plans — to optimize forest growth and stabilize carbon storage.
Forests should be managed according to their respective, specific fire ecology — not whole-scale fire suppression or one-size-fits-all plans — to optimize forest growth and stabilize carbon storage.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is celebrating the success of three distinguished researchers who are recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). This award is the highest recognition granted by the United States government to scientists and engineers in the early stages of their research careers.
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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
Southwest Biological Science Center - Flagstaff, AZ, Headquarters
Phone: 928-556-7094
Fax: 928-556-7092
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
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