Unified Interior Regions
California
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.
States L2 Landing Page Tabs
Determination of the geohydrologic characteristics of the boundary between the Mojave River and Antelope Valley groundwater basins, California
The Mojave Basin Area was adjudicated in 1993 and the Mojave Water Agency (MWA) was appointed as Watermaster to ensure that water rights are allocated according to the Court Judgment (Riverside County Superior Court, 1996). Established in 1960, the southwestern boundary of MWA’s management area is not a hydrologic boundary but instead coincides roughly with the boundary between San Bernardino...
Coordinated Pesticide Reconnaissance Study of Surface Waters in California
Pesticides are used throughout the State of California in both urban and agricultural settings and are routinely detected in surface water. Each year, new pesticides are introduced to the market and often become detected in surface water. It can take several years or more for routine monitoring programs to acquire the capability to detect new and understudied pesticides of concern because...
Atmospheric Deposition Contributions to Mercury Yields in Select Watersheds in the Western United States and Canada
The atmosphere plays an important role in the delivery to and cycling of mercury (Hg) in the environment and it can be a major source of Hg contamination to surface waters. Globally, atmospheric deposition of Hg is the primary source of Hg related concerns for human and ecosystem health (Fitzgerald and others, 1998). In California and other areas in the United States, Hg use in gold and silver...
Monitoring Mercury and Methylmercury in Water, Sediment and Biota in Combie Reservoir Before and After Dredging and Mercury Removal
Dredging to maintain water storage capacity by the Nevada Irrigation District (NID) occurred at Lake Combie reservoir, one of several reservoirs along the Bear River, California over the past 40 years on an as-needed basis to maintain water storage capacity. Maintenance dredging operations were halted by the Central Valley Regional Water...
The Effects of Artificial Recharge on Nitrate Concentrations in Groundwater in the Joshua Tree Subbasin, California
The Joshua Basin Water District (JBWD) is implementing an artificial groundwater recharge program to reverse the decline of groundwater levels and to store water in the Joshua Tree groundwater subbasin of the Morongo groundwater basin (~100 mi east of Los Angeles, CA).
Subsidence from Aquifer-Storage and Recovery in the East Bay Plain
The East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) has proposed to store and recover as much as 10 million gallons of water per day (MGD) at an aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) site, the Bayside Groundwater Project. Water will be stored in a 100-ft sequence of coarse-grained sediment (the "Deep Aquifer") underlying the East Bay Plain and the adjacent Niles Cone ground-water basin.
Webinar: Linking Remote Sensing and Bird Behavior Data to Understand the Impacts of Drought on Waterfowl
View this webinar to learn how scientists are exploring the impacts of drought on waterfowl.
Installation of two multiple-well monitoring sites near a proposed supplemental recharge well project, Central Basin, Los Angeles County, Federal Fiscal Year 2016
The Water Replenishment District of Southern California (WRD) is planning to construct an advanced water treatment facility and three supplemental injection wells in a recharge area in the coastal plain of Los Angeles County.
Extending PyLith to address your earthquake and volcanic deformation modeling needs- Brad Aagaard
Collaborate with developers of the state-of-the-art, open-source, community-code PyLith to add new features and use them to model complex earthquake or volcanic processes. This is your opportunity to expand your software development, numerical modeling, and geoscience skills while furthering your research and contributing to the broader community!
Simulation of Groundwater Flow and Land Subsidence in the Antelope Valley Groundwater Basin
Prior to 1972, groundwater provided more than 90 percent of the total water supply in Antelope Valley, California (~50 miles northeast of Los Angeles); since 1972, it has provided between 50 and 90 percent (the balance provided by imported surface water). Most groundwater pumping in the valley occurs in the Antelope Valley groundwater basin, which includes the rapidly growing cities of...
Simulating Land Subsidence
The California Water Science Center has been involved in multiple studies simulating land subsidence associated with groundwater withdrawal. The simulations can be used to estimate the magnitude, location, and timing of subsidence. They can also be used to evaluate management strategies to mitigate adverse effects from subsidence while also optimizing water availability.
Using Numerical Models to Simulate Subsidence
The California Water Science Center has been involved in multiple studies simulating land subsidence associated with groundwater withdrawal. The simulations can be used to estimate the magnitude, location, and timing of subsidence. They can also be used to evaluate management strategies to mitigate adverse effects from subsidence while also optimizing water availability.
Atmospheric-loading frequency response functions and groundwater-levels filtered for the effects of atmospheric loading and solid Earth tides for three monitoring wells near Mammoth Lakes, California, 2015 - 2017.
The data include atmospheric-loading frequency response functions (table 1) and filtered detrended and reconstructed (trends restored) groundwater-levels (tables 2 to 4) computed for selected, parsed time series for three USGS monitoring wells [28A-25-1 (373904118570701); 28A-25-2 (373904118570702); and 14A-25-1 (373927118571701)], and the associated hourly res
CoSMoS (Coastal Storm Modeling System) Central California v3.1 flood depth and duration projections: average conditions in San Francisco County
This data contains maximum depth of flooding (cm) in the region landward of the present-day shoreline for the sea-level rise (SLR) and storm condition indicated.
The Coastal Storm Modeling System (CoSMoS) makes detailed predictions (meter-scale) over large geographic scales (100s of kilometers) of storm-induced coastal flooding and erosion for both current and future sea-le
CoSMoS (Coastal Storm Modeling System) Central California v3.1 flood-hazard projections: 1-year storm in Santa Barbara County
This data contains geographic extents of projected coastal flooding, low-lying vulnerable areas, and maximum/minimum flood potential (flood uncertainty) associated with the sea-level rise (SLR) and storm condition indicated.
The Coastal Storm Modeling System (CoSMoS) makes detailed predictions (meter-scale) over large geographic scales (100s of kilometers) of storm-ind
CoSMoS (Coastal Storm Modeling System) Central California v3.1 ocean-currents projections: average conditions in Santa Barbara County
This data contains maximum model-derived ocean currents (in meters per second) for the sea-level rise (SLR) and storm condition indicated.
The Coastal Storm Modeling System (CoSMoS) makes detailed predictions (meter-scale) over large geographic scales (100s of kilometers) of storm-induced coastal flooding and erosion for both current and future sea-level rise (SLR) scen
CoSMoS (Coastal Storm Modeling System) Central California v3.1 flood-hazard projections: 100-year storm in San Luis Obispo County
This data contains geographic extents of projected coastal flooding, low-lying vulnerable areas, and maximum/minimum flood potential (flood uncertainty) associated with the sea-level rise (SLR) and storm condition indicated.
The Coastal Storm Modeling System (CoSMoS) makes detailed predictions (meter-scale) over large geographic scales (100s of kilometers) of storm-ind
CoSMoS (Coastal Storm Modeling System) Central California v3.1 water-level projections: average conditions in San Luis Obispo County
This data contains model-derived total water levels (in meters) for the sea-level rise (SLR) and storm condition indicated.
The Coastal Storm Modeling System (CoSMoS) makes detailed predictions (meter-scale) over large geographic scales (100s of kilometers) of storm-induced coastal flooding and erosion for both current and future sea-level rise (SLR) scenarios. Projecti
CoSMoS (Coastal Storm Modeling System) Central California v3.1 flood depth and duration projections: average conditions in San Mateo County
This data contains maximum depth of flooding (cm) in the region landward of the present-day shoreline for the sea-level rise (SLR) and storm condition indicated.
The Coastal Storm Modeling System (CoSMoS) makes detailed predictions (meter-scale) over large geographic scales (100s of kilometers) of storm-induced coastal flooding and erosion for both current and future sea-le
CoSMoS (Coastal Storm Modeling System) Central California v3.1 water-level projections: 20-year storm in San Francisco County
This data contains model-derived total water levels (in meters) for the sea-level rise (SLR) and storm condition indicated.
The Coastal Storm Modeling System (CoSMoS) makes detailed predictions (meter-scale) over large geographic scales (100s of kilometers) of storm-induced coastal flooding and erosion for both current and future sea-level rise (SLR) scenarios. Projecti
CoSMoS (Coastal Storm Modeling System) Central California v3.1 flood-hazard projections: 100-year storm in Santa Barbara County
This data contains geographic extents of projected coastal flooding, low-lying vulnerable areas, and maximum/minimum flood potential (flood uncertainty) associated with the sea-level rise (SLR) and storm condition indicated.
The Coastal Storm Modeling System (CoSMoS) makes detailed predictions (meter-scale) over large geographic scales (100s of kilometers) of storm-ind
CoSMoS (Coastal Storm Modeling System) Central California v3.1 ocean-currents projections: 20-year storm in Santa Barbara County
This data contains maximum model-derived ocean currents (in meters per second) for the sea-level rise (SLR) and storm condition indicated.
The Coastal Storm Modeling System (CoSMoS) makes detailed predictions (meter-scale) over large geographic scales (100s of kilometers) of storm-induced coastal flooding and erosion for both current and future sea-level rise (SLR) scen
CoSMoS (Coastal Storm Modeling System) Central California v3.1 flood-hazard projections: 20-year storm in San Mateo County
This data contains geographic extents of projected coastal flooding, low-lying vulnerable areas, and maximum/minimum flood potential (flood uncertainty) associated with the sea-level rise (SLR) and storm condition indicated.
The Coastal Storm Modeling System (CoSMoS) makes detailed predictions (meter-scale) over large geographic scales (100s of kilometers) of storm-ind
CoSMoS (Coastal Storm Modeling System) Central California v3.1 wave-hazard projections: 20-year storm in San Luis Obispo County
This data contains maximum model-derived significant wave height (in meters) for the sea-level rise (SLR) and storm condition indicated.
The Coastal Storm Modeling System (CoSMoS) makes detailed predictions (meter-scale) over large geographic scales (100s of kilometers) of storm-induced coastal flooding and erosion for both current and future sea-level rise (SLR) scenar
Relative abundance and distribution of fishes within an established Area of Critical Environmental Concern, of the Amargosa River Canyon and Willow Creek, Inyo and San Bernardino Counties, California
The Amargosa River Canyon of San Bernardino and Inyo County, California, has been designated by the Bureau of Land Management as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern, due in part to its unique flora and fauna. As a task of the Area of Critical Environmental Concern implementation plan, a survey of native fishes was conducted from June 21 to...
Scoppettone, G. Gary; Hereford, Mark E.; Rissler, Peter H.; Johnson, Danielle M.; Salgado, Antonio
Isostatic gravity map of the Point Sur 30 x 60 quadrangle and adjacent areas, California
This isostatic residual gravity map is part of a regional effort to investigate the tectonics and water resources of the central Coast Range. This map serves as a basis for modeling the shape of basins and for determining the location and geometry of faults in the area. Local spatial variations in the Earth's gravity field (after removing...
Watt, J.T.; Morin, R.L.; Langenheim, V. E.
Overview of the ARkStorm scenario
The U.S. Geological Survey, Multi Hazards Demonstration Project (MHDP) uses hazards science to improve resiliency of communities to natural disasters including earthquakes, tsunamis, wildfires, landslides, floods and coastal erosion. The project engages emergency planners, businesses, universities, government agencies, and others in preparing for...
Porter, Keith; Wein, Anne; Alpers, Charles N.; Baez, Allan; Barnard, Patrick L.; Carter, James; Corsi, Alessandra; Costner, James; Cox, Dale; Das, Tapash; Dettinger, Mike; Done, James; Eadie, Charles; Eymann, Marcia; Ferris, Justin; Gunturi, Prasad; Hughes, Mimi; Jarrett, Robert; Johnson, Laurie; Le-Griffin, Hanh Dam; Mitchell, David; Morman, Suzette; Neiman, Paul; Olsen, Anna; Perry, Suzanne; Plumlee, Geoffrey; Ralph, Martin; Reynolds, David; Rose, Adam; Schaefer, Kathleen; Serakos, Julie; Siembieda, William; Stock, Jonathan D.; Strong, David; Wing, Ian Sue; Tang, Alex; Thomas, Pete; Topping, Ken; Wills, Chris; Jones, Lucile
A novel member of the family Hepeviridae from cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii)
Beginning in 1988, the Chinook salmon embryo (CHSE-214) cell line was used to isolate a novel virus from spawning adult trout in the state of California, USA. Termed the cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii) virus (CTV), the small, round virus was not associated with disease, but was subsequently found to be present in an increasing number of...
Batts, William; Yun, Susan; Hedrick, Ronald; Winton, James Deep rock damage in the san andreas fault revealed by P- and S-type fault-zone-guided waves
Damage to fault-zone rocks during fault slip results in the formation of a channel of low seismic-wave velocities. Within such channels guided seismic waves, denoted by Fg, can propagate. Here we show with core samples, well logs and Fg-waves that such a channel is crossed by the SAFOD (San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth) borehole at a depth...
Ellsworth, William L.; Malin, Peter E. Effect of dietary salt on migration and survival of yearling steelhead produced at Iron Gate Hatchery, Klamath River, 2009
We surgically implanted radio transmitters into 30 hatchery yearling steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) released from Iron Gate Hatchery during the spring of 2009 to improve our understanding of the effect of dietary salt on their out-migration and survival. Steelhead yearlings were divided into two feed treatments to test the efficacy of a salt-...
Juhnke, S.; Hansel, H.; Wright; Hetrick Soil-geomorphic significance of land surface characteristics in an arid mountain range, Mojave Desert, USA
Mountains comprise an extensive and visually prominent portion of the landscape in the Mojave Desert, California. Landform surface properties influence the role these mountains have in geomorphic processes such as dust flux and surface hydrology across the region. The primary goal of this study was to describe and quantify land surface properties...
Hirmas, D.R.; Graham, R.C.; Kendrick, K.J. Unusual dominance by desert pupfish (Cyprinodon macularius) in experimental ponds within the Salton Sea Basin
In October 2006, months after shallow experimental ponds in the Salton Sea Basin were filled with water from the Alamo River and Salton Sea, fish were observed in several ponds, although inlets had been screened to exclude fish. During October 2007–November 2009, nine surveys were conducted using baited minnow traps to document species and...
Saiki, Michael K.; Martin, Barbara A.; Anderson, Thomas W. Correction to “Constraints on the stress state of the San Andreas Fault with analysis based on core and cuttings from San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD) drilling phases 1 and 2”
This article corrects: Constraints on the stress state of the San Andreas Fault with analysis based on core and cuttings from San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD) drilling phases 1 and 2. Vol. 114, Issue B11, Article first published online: 5 NOV 2009.
Tembe, Sheryl; Lockner, David; Wong, Teng-Fong
Evaluation of geodetic and geologic datasets in the Northern Walker Lane-Summary and recommendations of the Workshop
The Northern Walker Lane comprises a complex network of active faults in northwestern Nevada and northeastern California bound on the west by the Sierra Nevada and on the east by the extensional Basin and Range Province. Because deformation is distributed across sets of discontinuous faults, it is particularly challenging to integrate geologic and...
Briggs, Richard W.; Hammond, William C.
Recently active traces of the Bartlett Springs Fault, California: A digital database
The purpose of this map is to show the location of and evidence for recent movement on active fault traces within the Bartlett Springs Fault Zone, California. The location and recency of the mapped traces is primarily based on geomorphic expression of the fault as interpreted from large-scale aerial photography. In a few places, evidence of fault...
Lienkaemper, James J.
Estuarine sedimentation, sediment character, and foraminiferal distribution in central San Francisco Bay, California
Central San Francisco Bay is the deepest subembayment in the San Francisco Bay estuary and hence has the largest water volume of any of the subembayments. It also has the strongest tidal currents and the coarsest sediment within the estuary. Tidal currents are strongest over the west-central part of central bay and, correspondingly, this area is...
Chin, John L.; Woodrow, Donald L.; McGann, Mary; Wong, Florence L.; Fregoso, Theresa A.; Jaffe, Bruce E.
Imagery of Liberty Island Conservation Bank Wildlands restoration site
Digital Surface Model (DSM) and orthomosaic image from the October 23, 2018 UAS survey.
Andrea "Andy" O'Neill in Monterey
“The ocean is the closest I can get to an unexplored world, without going into space... I mean, I feel a deep connection to the ocean and its constant rhythms, but when I visit, there's a new discovery or appreciation every time. People should care about the ocean for the same reason we care about the air we breathe and the water we drink - it is an essential part of Life
...
Mapping nearshore depths along a beach
Cordell Johnson uses a personal watercraft (PWC) equipped with GPS and sonar to measure seafloor depths near the beach.
Hillside at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area 2 Months After Fire
A landscape at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area 2 months after summer 2018's Carr Fire near Redding, California, where USGS WERC researchers are studying fire impacts, post-fire vegetation recovery, and post-fire erosion and debris flows.
...
Hill at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area 2 Months After Fire
A landscape at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area 2 months after summer 2018's Carr Fire near Redding, California, where USGS WERC researchers are studying fire impacts, post-fire vegetation recovery, and post-fire erosion and debris flows.
...
Landscape at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area 2 Months After Fire
A landscape at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area 2 months after summer 2018's Carr Fire near Redding, California, where USGS WERC researchers are studying fire impacts, post-fire vegetation recovery, and post-fire erosion and debris flows.
...
Hillside at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area 2 Months After Fire
A landscape at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area 2 months after summer 2018's Carr Fire near Redding, California, where USGS WERC researchers are studying fire impacts, post-fire vegetation recovery, and post-fire erosion and debris flows.
...
Measuring dune elevations
Dan Nowacki measures dune elevations near the mouth of the Pajaro River with a precision GPS unit carried in his backpack.
USGS researchers fly a drone over Whiskeytown National Recreation Area
USGS ecologist and drone pilot Chase Freeman flies a drone for at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area to assess the impacts of the 2018 Carr Fire, while technician Kylie Mosher looks on.
Examining core stratigraphy within Humboldt slough
Humboldt State University Assistant Professor Melanie Michalak (squatting) and California State Geological Survey scientist Jay Patton (standing, center) explaining core stratigraphy within Humboldt slough and evidence for past tsunami inundation. Integrating evidence of past earthquakes and tsunamis from offshore and onshore geologic evidence is key to understanding the
...
Backscatter map offshore of Santa Cruz
Between November 2014 and June 2016 the U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center (PCMSC) conducted eight repeat, high-resolution bathymetry and acoustic-backscatter surveys of a small patch of seafloor offshore Santa Cruz in northern Monterey Bay, California. PCMSC also collected oceanographic time-series data over the same two-year period.
PubTalk 9/2018 - Hayward Earthquake
Title: The 150th Anniversary of the Damaging 1868 Hayward Earthquake: Why It Matters and How We Can Prepare for Its Repeat
- The Hayward Fault in the heart of the Bay Area is one of the most urbanized faults in the US.
- Studies of the fault reveal that it has produced 12 large earthquakes in the past 2000 years spaced 100-220 years apart.
- There
Earthquakes rocked residents near the towns of Mammoth Lakes and Big Pine in eastern California this month, including a magnitude 3.74 and 3.44 on February 15 near Mammoth Lakes and another magnitude 4.8 near Big Pine on February 16.
A new series of maps of fog and low clouds covering the northern and central California coasts reveals daytime and nighttime patterns with a level of detail never previously mapped. U.S. Geological Survey scientists used new analyses of satellite images to understand the dynamics of fog.
We are pleased to announce the Spanish translation of our recently published CalVO Fact Sheet The California Volcano Observatory – Monitoring the State's Restless Volcanoes.
The shaking hazard posed by earthquakes on range-front faults near the town of Mammoth Lakes, CA is lower than previously estimated.
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Northern spotted owl populations are declining in all parts of their range in the Pacific Northwest, according to research published in The Condor. Based on data from 11 study areas across Washington, Oregon and northern California, a rangewide decline of nearly 4 percent per year was estimated from 1985 to 2013.
CORVALLIS, Ore. — Ecosystem restoration is complex and requires an understanding of how the land, plants, and animals all interact with each other over large areas and over time. Today, the U.S. Geological Survey published part two of a three-part handbook addressing restoration of sagebrush ecosystems from the landscape to the site level.
A newly published, three-volume “Remote Sensing Handbook” is a comprehensive coverage of all remote sensing topics written by over 300 leading global experts.
A new study completed by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Borrego Water District, will help water planners in the Borrego Valley, California better understand and manage the groundwater resources that the area relies on for drinking water, agriculture and recreation.
With the release of new US Topo maps for Illinois and South Dakota, the USGS has completed the second, three-year cycle of revising and updating electronic US Topo quadrangles. This means that since late 2009, the USGS has published nearly every map in the conterminous U.S., twice.
USGS geologists Patrick Muffler and Michael Clynne published a new geologic field-trip guide for areas in and around Lassen Volcanic National Park in northern California.
USGS CalVO scientists have developed a new 3D conceptual model of the magma system below Mono Lake and Mono Craters in eastern California to give scientists a more detailed understanding of volcanic processes at depth.
A new conceptual model of the magma system below Mono Lake and Mono Craters in eastern California gives scientists a more detailed understanding of volcanic processes at depth, and a better model for forecasting volcanic unrest.
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Locations
Southwest Regional Director's Office
Phone: (916) 278-9551
Fax: (916) 278-9566
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
Phone: 831-460-7401
Fax: 831-427-4748
Sacramento Projects Office (USGS California Water Science Center)
Phone: 916-278-3000
Fax: 916-278-3070
Western Ecological Research Center - Headquarters
Phone: (916) 278-9485
Fax: (916) 278-9475
Geology, Minerals, Energy and Geophysics Science Center
Phone: (650) 329-4881
Earthquake Science Center
Western Geographic Science Center - Main Office
San Diego Projects Office (USGS California Water Science Center)
Phone: 619-225-6100
Fax: 619-225-6101
USGS California Volcano Observatory (CalVO package delivery)
askcalvo@usgs.gov
Phone: 650-329-5083
Truckee Field Office (USGS California Water Science Center)
Phone: 530-587-0910
Fax: 530-587-0914
Redding Field Office (USGS California Water Science Center)
Phone: 530-246-5282
Fax: 530-246-0717
Ukiah Field Office (USGS California Water Science Center)
Phone: 707-468-4040
Fax: 707-468-4022
Redlands Field Office (USGS California Water Science Center)
Phone: 909-798-3272
West Sacramento Projects Office (USGS California Water Science Center)
Phone: 916-617-2799
Eureka Satellite Office (USGS California Water Science Center)
Phone: 707-442-3169
Fax: 707-445-7860
Sacramento Field Office (USGS California Water Science Center)
Phone: 916-381-0207
Fax: 916-381-0556
Santa Cruz Field Office (USGS California Water Science Center)
Phone: 831-460-7494
Santa Maria Field Office (USGS California Water Science Center)
Phone: 805-928-9539
Fax: 805-928-9220
Poway Field Office (USGS California Water Science Center)
Phone: 858-679-4015
Fax: 858-679-4019
USGS Menlo Park Library
men_lib@usgs.gov
Phone: 650-329-5027
Fax: 650-329-5132