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The Upper Midwest Water Science Center provides credible and relevant scientific information on critical water resources issues in MI, MN, WI, and beyond. Major focus areas include Great Lakes, ecosystems science, hydrologic monitoring networks, flood frequency and mapping, water availability, and effects of agricultural and urban practices, mineral extraction, and other human activities.
News
TNMCorps Mapping Challenge Summary Results for City / Town Hall Structures in MI
This challenge is now complete!! Thank you to everyone who contributed! Here is a time lapse of our volunteer contributions for this challenge:
FINISHED!! Mapping Challenge for City / Town Hall Structures in MI
This challenge is now finished! Thank you to everyone who participated!
Mapping Challenge Update (12/18/19): City / Town Hall Structures in MI
Here is the weekly update for this challenge!
Publications
Delineation of contributing areas for 2017 pumping conditions to selected wells in Ingham County, Michigan
As part of local wellhead protection area programs, areascontributing water to production wells need to be periodicallyupdated because groundwater-flow paths depend in part onthe stresses to the groundwater-flow system. A steady-stategroundwater-flow model that was constructed in 2009 wasupdated to reflect recent (2017) pumping conditions in...
Luukkonen, Carol L.
Constraining the thermal history of the North American Midcontinent Rift System using carbonate clumped isotopes and organic thermal maturity indices
The Midcontinent Rift System (MRS) is a Late Mesoproterozoic (∼1.1 Ga) sequence of volcanic and sedimentary rocks exposed in the Lake Superior Region of North America. The MRS continues to be the focus of much research due to its economic mineral deposits as well as its archive of Precambrian life and tectonic processes. In order to constrain...
Gallagher, Timothy M.; Sheldon, Nathan D.; Mauk, Jeffrey L.; Petersen, Sierra V.; Gueneli, Nur; Brocks, Jochen J.
Historical files from Federal Government mineral exploration-assistance programs, 1950 to 1974
The Defense Minerals Administration (DMA), Defense Minerals Exploration Administration (DMEA), and Office of Minerals Exploration (OME) mineral exploration programs were active over the period 1950–1974. Under these programs, the Federal Government contributed financial assistance in the exploration for certain strategic and critical minerals. The...
Frank, David G.
United States Assessments of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources
USGS Energy Resources Program provides periodic assessments of the oil and natural gas endowment of the United States and the World (click here for information about World Oil and Gas Assessments). This website provides access to new, prioritized, assessment results and supporting data for the United States, as part...
Edge-of-field monitoring
Edge-of-field monitoring focuses on identifying and reducing agricultural sources of excess nutrients which can threaten the health of streams, rivers, and lakes. Edge-of-field monitoring assesses the quantity and quality of agricultural runoff and evaluates the effectiveness of conservation practices that aim to reduce nutrient loss.
Chemicals of Concern in the Great Lakes Basin
The Great Lakes are an important freshwater source of drinking water, fisheries, and habitat. Chemicals of concern are introduced to the environment by human activities, but resulting ecological consequences are little understood. With federal and University partners, we are characterizing the presence of contaminants and potential effects to fish in Great Lakes tributaries.
Bacterial Pathogens
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Michigan Bacteriological Research Laboratory (MI-BaRL) studies the source, occurrence, and distribution of the bacterial pathogens Shiga-toxin producing E. coli (STEC), Salmonella, Shigella, Campylobacter, Enterococcus, and Staphylococcus and the relation of occurrence of pathogens with fecal indicator bacteria, land-use, season, hydrology, geology, weather...
Enhance Great Lakes Beach Recreational Water Quality Decision Making
Important questions about beach closures and management remain unanswered in the Great Lakes where over 500 beaches are routinely used along the nearly 11,000 miles of coastline. The economies of coastal areas are dependent on public confidence in the quality of water at the shoreline, and beach managers need reliable science-based information to make beach closure and beach management...
Antibiotic Resistance
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Michigan Bacteriological Research Laboratory (MI-BaRL) conducts research on antibiotic-resistant bacteria and their genes. We have concentrated our studies on antibiotic-resistant bacteria of human-health concern, including vancomycin-resistant enterococci, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (...
Using optical sensors to detect sewage contamination in the Great Lakes
In the Great Lakes, large volumes of sewage never make it to wastewater treatment plants due to illicit discharges and leaking sewer infrastructure, but contamination can be difficult to detect. This study will define the utility and practicality of using optical sensors to identify the sources and timing of sewage contamination in surface water and storm sewers in real-time field settings....
Isoxaflutole Monitoring
This project is investigating the potential persistence of isoxaflutole, a pesticide, and its metabolites in groundwater and surface water near agricultural fields in Michigan.
Michigan Streamflow Data Available Online
The USGS in Michigan-in cooperation with local, State, Tribal, and Federal partners-operates 155 streamgages recording stage and streamflow, and 13 lake-level gages. There are about 7,400 streamgages nationwide; many of these gages provide real-time data in 15-minute increments, which typically are transmitted to the World Wide Web every 1 to 2 hours using satellite, telephone, or cellular...
Water-Quality Monitor Network in Michigan
The USGS operates a network of real-time water-quality monitoring stations that measure up to five physical parameters. The parameters are temperature, specific conductance, pH, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity. One to four of those parameters are measured at 26 sites, while all five parameters are measured at 13 sites. These data are used for decision making about hydroelectric power...
Assessing stormwater reduction through green infrastructure: RecoveryPark (Detroit, Mich.)
The effectiveness of green infrastructure (including urban land conversion and bioswales) at reducing stormwater runoff is being assessed at RecoveryPark, a redeveloped urban farm in Detroit, Michigan. This study will monitor pre- and post-construction storm-sewer flow, groundwater levels, precipitation, and potential evapotranspiration.
This data release provides multi-element data for drill core samples from the Mesoproterozoic Nonesuch Formation and Copper Harbor Conglomerate at the Copperwood copper deposit, Michigan, USA. Gold, platinum, and palladium data were collected by fire assay; copper and silver were collected by assay; and other elements were collected by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spect
The NWIS mapper provides access to over 1.5 million sites contained in the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS), including sites where current and historical surface-water, groundwater, springs, and atmospheric data has been collected. Users can search by site type, data type, site number, or place.
GIS Data for Superior Province Oil and Gas Assessments
GIS Data for Michigan Basin Oil and Gas Assessments
Interactively explore assessment summary information for continuous (unconventional) assessments conducted at the USGS from 2000-2018. The assessment results data used to generate this visualization can be downloaded here in Excel Format. These data represent all assessment results for Continuous Assessments only from 2000-2018.
New gravity and magnetic compilations and elevation-bathymetry models have been compiled for the Lake Superior region. These data provide continuous sets of observations for geologic interpretations spanning political boundaries such as US States and the US-Canada border where bedrock geology is largely concealed beneath glacial deposits and surface water. These data are providing constraints for
The National Water Information System (NWIS) web application provides access to real-time and historical surface-water, groundwater, water-quality, and water-use data collected at approximately 1.5 million sites across all 50 states.
The USGS operates a network of real-time water-quality monitoring stations that measure up to five physical parameters. The parameters are temperature, specific conductance, pH, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity. One to four of those parameters are measured at 26 sites, while all five parameters are measured at 13 sites.
In 1954 researchers at the USGS Great Lakes Science Center conducted 11 research cruises on Lake Michigan during which 779 bathythermographs were cast to collect temperature profile data (temperature at depth). Bathythermographs of that era recorded water pressure and temperature data by mechanically etching them as a curve on a glass slide. Data was collected from the glass slide by projecti
Estimated Secchi-disk transparency (eSDT) and corresponding estimated trophic state index (eTSI) values.
Data is available for download in shapefile format with metadata: 2003-2005 eSDT
Estimated Secchi-disk transparency (eSDT) and corresponding estimated trophic state index (eTSI) values.
Data is available for download in shapefile format with metadata: 2013 eSDT
Estimated Secchi-disk transparency (eSDT) and corresponding estimated trophic state index (eTSI) values.
Data is available for download in shapefile format with metadata: 1999-2000 eSDT
This map shows the provinces assessed by the USGS for undiscovered oil and gas resources.
The FishVis Mapper is the product of an Upper Midwest and Great Lakes LCC project, “A Regional Decision Support Tool for Identifying Vulnerabilities of Riverine Habitat and Fishes to Climate Change” that developed an approach for predicting fish species occurrence under current climate conditions and project how fish species occurrence may change under future climate conditions.
Available online are estimated Secchi-disk transparency (eSDT) and corresponding estimated trophic state index (eTSI) values for Michigan inland lakes. To view available eSDT for Michigan inland lakes greater than 20 acres without interference from clouds, cloud shadows, dense vegetation or shoreline, go to the Michigan Lake Water Clarity Interactive Map Viewer.
The 3DEP products and services available through The National Map consist of standard digital elevation models (DEMs) at various horizontal resolutions, elevation source and associated datasets, an elevation point query service and bulk point query service. All 3DEP products are available, free of charge and without use restrictions.
Delineation of contributing areas for 2017 pumping conditions to selected wells in Ingham County, Michigan
As part of local wellhead protection area programs, areascontributing water to production wells need to be periodicallyupdated because groundwater-flow paths depend in part onthe stresses to the groundwater-flow system. A steady-stategroundwater-flow model that was constructed in 2009 wasupdated to reflect recent (2017) pumping conditions in...
Luukkonen, Carol L. Constraining the thermal history of the North American Midcontinent Rift System using carbonate clumped isotopes and organic thermal maturity indices
The Midcontinent Rift System (MRS) is a Late Mesoproterozoic (∼1.1 Ga) sequence of volcanic and sedimentary rocks exposed in the Lake Superior Region of North America. The MRS continues to be the focus of much research due to its economic mineral deposits as well as its archive of Precambrian life and tectonic processes. In order to constrain...
Gallagher, Timothy M.; Sheldon, Nathan D.; Mauk, Jeffrey L.; Petersen, Sierra V.; Gueneli, Nur; Brocks, Jochen J. Historical files from Federal Government mineral exploration-assistance programs, 1950 to 1974
The Defense Minerals Administration (DMA), Defense Minerals Exploration Administration (DMEA), and Office of Minerals Exploration (OME) mineral exploration programs were active over the period 1950–1974. Under these programs, the Federal Government contributed financial assistance in the exploration for certain strategic and critical minerals. The...
Frank, David G. A random-walk algorithm for modeling lithospheric density and the role of body forces in the evolution of the Midcontinent Rift
This paper develops a Monte Carlo algorithm for extracting three-dimensional lithospheric density models from geophysical data. Empirical scaling relationships between velocity and density create a 3D starting density model, which is then iteratively refined until it reproduces observed gravity and topography. This approach permits deviations from...
Levandowski, William Brower; Boyd, Oliver S.; Briggs, Richard W.; Gold, Ryan D. Northern goshawk monitoring in the western Great Lakes bioregion
Uncertainties about factors affecting Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) ecology and the status of populations have added to the challenge of managing this species. To address data needs for determining the status of goshawk populations, Hargis and Woodbridge (2006) developed a bioregional monitoring protocol based on estimating occupancy. The...
Bruggeman, Jason E.; Andersen, David E.; Woodford, James E.
Estimation of groundwater use for a groundwater-flow model of the Lake Michigan Basin and adjacent areas, 1864-2005
The U.S. Geological Survey, at the request of Congress, is assessing the availability and use of the Nation's water resources to help characterize how much water is available now, how water availability is changing, and how much water can be expected to be available in the future. The Great Lakes Basin Pilot project of the U.S. Geological Survey...
Buchwald, Cheryl A.; Luukkonen, Carol L.; Rachol, Cynthia M.
Estimated Withdrawals and Other Elements of Water Use in the Great Lakes Basin of the United States in 2005
Estimates of water withdrawals in the United States part of the Great Lakes Basin and 107 of its watersheds designated by the 8-digit hydrologic unit code (HUCs) indicate that about 30.3 billion gallons per day (Bgal/d) were withdrawn for practically all categories of use in 2005. Virtually all water withdrawn was freshwater. Surface-water...
Mills, P.C.; Sharpe, Jennifer B.
Application of AFINCH as a tool for evaluating the effects of streamflow-gaging-network size and composition on the accuracy and precision of streamflow estimates at ungaged locations in the southeast Lake Michigan hydrologic subregion
Bootstrapping techniques employing random subsampling were used with the AFINCH (Analysis of Flows In Networks of CHannels) model to gain insights into the effects of variation in streamflow-gaging-network size and composition on the accuracy and precision of streamflow estimates at ungaged locations in the 0405 (Southeast Lake Michigan)...
Koltun, G.F.; Holtschlag, David J.
Processing, Analysis, and General Evaluation of Well-Driller Logs for Estimating Hydrogeologic Parameters of the Glacial Sediments in a Ground-Water Flow Model of the Lake Michigan Basin
In 2005, the U.S. Geological Survey began a pilot study for the National Assessment of Water Availability and Use Program to assess the availability of water and water use in the Great Lakes Basin. Part of the study involves constructing a ground-water flow model for the Lake Michigan part of the Basin. Most ground-water flow occurs in the glacial...
Arihood, Leslie D. Isolation of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus from muskellunge, Esox masquinongy (Mitchill), in Lake St Clair, Michigan, USA reveals a new sublineage of the North American genotype
Viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV) was isolated from muskellunge, Esox masquinongy (Mitchill), caught from the NW portion of Lake St Clair, Michigan, USA in 2003. Affected fish exhibited congestion of internal organs; the inner wall of the swim bladder was thickened and contained numerous budding, fluid-filled vesicles. A virus was...
Elsayed, E.; Faisal, M.; Thomas, M.; Whelan, G.; Batts, W.; Winton, J.
Water use for irrigation in Michigan, 2001
Each year, water-use data for Michigan are compiled or estimated by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), working in cooperation with the U. S. Geological Survey (USGS). The resulting information provides a category-by-category profile of over 4,200 facilities throughout the State. The data are reported in the Michigan Water Use...
Morenz, Michele L.; Van Til, Ron L.; Luukkonen, Carol L.
Estimated water withdrawals, water use, and water consumption in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, and Wisconsin, 1950-95
From 1950 through 1995, the U.S. Geological Survey tabulated water withdrawals throughout the United States, including the northcentral States of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, and Wisconsin. During this period, total water withdrawals increased in each of the north-central States by at least a factor of two. Illinois led...
Kay, Robert T.
GCLAS is a program designed primarily to compute daily and annual loadings of constituents transported in streamflow.
This data exploration tool is intented for use by researchers, resource managers, and the public to better understand the status of the fish community in Lake Erie.
STRMDEPL08—An Extended Version of STRMDEPL with Additional Analytical Solutions to Calculate Streamflow Depletion by Nearby Pumping Well
Image of the Week - Festive Fields in North Carolina
The smell of a fresh cut Christmas tree can evoke visions of majestic evergreen forests teeming with winter wildlife. In truth, more than half of U.S. Christmas trees come from farms in Oregon, North Carolina, or Michigan. Cut Christmas Trees area commodity, tracked by the U.S. Department of Agriculture just like corn or soybeans. These USDA aerial images show tree harvest
...
National Geographic Visits Hammond Bay to Photograph Sea Lamprey
National Geographic photographer, Keith Ladzinski, photographs live sea lamprey at Hammond Bay Biological Station on September 11, 2019 for an expansive article featuring the Great Lakes.
Voice of America Visits Hammond Bay Biological Station
GLSC Hammond Bay Biological Station research was filmed by Voice of America (VOA) News on June 2-3, 2019. Clockwise from top right: VOA videographer, Ailin Li, interviewing Scott Miehls, USGS; live sea lamprey; videography team at the Ocqueoc River sea lamprey barrier and trap, (L-R) Nathan Allen, GLFC, Josh Benson, Andrea Miehls, GLFC/USGS, Ed Benzer, FWS, Ailin Li, VOA,
...
Acoustic Telemetry Used to Track Fish
Staff from the USGS Great Lakes Science Center gaze at the Mackinac Bridge rising above the mist in the Straits of Mackinac, Michigan. The lines they are holding are attached to grappling hooks being used to retrieve acoustic telemetry equipment anchored on the bottom of the straits. The equipment is used to track fish movements in the Great Lakes and was deployed as part
...
Teaching monitoring protocols for invasive Phragmites
Samantha Stanton (Great Lakes Commission, GLSC Volunteer) demonstrates the monitoring protocol to training attendees on May 29, 2019, near Centerville, Michigan.
Practicing Phragmites Monitoring Procedures
A training attendee practices the monitoring procedure.
Phragmites Adaptive Management Framework: Model Overview
This animation is the third video in a series explaining different aspects of the Phragmites Adaptive Management Framework (PAMF). This video focuses on the machine learning model that PAMF uses to systematically learn from participant's data and then provide site-specific management guidance in return. More information about PAMF can be found at our websites:
...
Implanting an Acoustic Transmitter into a Cisco
Cisco being prepared for surgical implantation of an acoustic transmitter at the USGS Ann Arbor aquatic research laboratory
USGS - GLSC Trawl net workshop
GLSC trawl net workshop held at the USGS vessel base in Cheboygan, Michigan, April 24-25, 2019. The USGS research vessel Sturgeon pictured in background.
Cheboygan Residents Tour the R/V Sturgeon
GLSC Cheboygan Vessel Base staff stand alongside residents of Cheboygan, Michigan, prior to touring the R/V Sturgeon and R/V Arcticus on April 24, 2019.
Variable Warming Upper Midwest Lakes and Implications for Sport Fish
Climate change is predicted to alter sport fish communities in Midwestern lakes, but managers currently have limited information on individual lakes that can be used to set local expectations or intervene with mitigation strategies. Northeast and North Central CASC supported researchers, with strong participation from the Midwest Glacial Lakes Partnership, have combined
...
A Smelt Closeup
Closeup view of a Smelt (Osmerus mordax)
This challenge is now complete!! Thank you to everyone who contributed! Here is a time lapse of our volunteer contributions for this challenge:
This challenge is now finished! Thank you to everyone who participated!
Here is the weekly update for this challenge!
Michigan is coming along nicely with almost another 100 points added! Keep up the nice work!
Michigan is coming along nicely with another 100 points added!
City / town halls are coming in for Michigan as well! Keep an eye out for another article on city / town halls in this month's newsletter.
Here is the weekly update for this challenge!
This challenge is now complete!! Thank you to everyone who contributed! Here is a time lapse of our volunteer contributions for this challenge:
City/town halls are now being added to upcoming revisions of US Topo maps! Our volunteers have been steadily collecting these structures in the eastern states, however, there is still a lot of work to be done, especially since we started with minimal seed data. Michigan maps will be updated soon so here’s a new challenge for city/town halls in Michigan!
This challenge is now complete!! Thank you to everyone who contributed! Here are the summary results and a time lapse of our volunteer contributions for this challenge.
This challenge is now COMPLETE! Thank you to everyone to participated!
Trick-or-Treat! Calling all Standard Editors, Peer Reviewers, and Advanced Editors! We need your help reviewing cemeteries!
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Locations
Great Lakes Science Center
Phone: 734-994-3331
Fax: 734-994-8780
Upper Midwest Water Science Center - Lansing, Mich., Office
Phone: 517-887-8903
Fax: 517-887-8937
Michigan Bacteriological Research Laboratory (MI-BaRL)
Phone: 517-887-8903
Fax: 517-887-8937
Upper Midwest Water Science Center - Escanaba, Mich., Field Office
Phone: 906-786-0714
Fax: 906-786-5461
Upper Midwest Water Science Center - Grayling, Mich., Field Office
Phone: 989-348-8291
Fax: 989-348-6866
Upper Midwest Water Science Center - Lansing, Mich., Field Office
Phone: 517-887-8903
Fax: 517-887-8937
Hammond Bay Biological Station
michaelhansen@usgs.gov
Phone: 989-734-4768
Fax: 989-734-4494
Cheboygan Vessel Base
jbergan@usgs.gov
Phone: 231-627-4571
Fax: 231-627-8791