Unified Interior Regions
Washington
Washington's Puget Sound is a complex ecosystem directly adjacent to a robust metropolitan area that scientists from the USGS Western Fisheries Research Center study. Recent surveys have looked at juvenile surf smelt, a key link in the food web that are consumed by predators such as salmon, orca, and many marine birds.
Western Fisheries Research Center
Research at the WFRC focuses on the environmental factors responsible for the creation, maintenance, and regulation of fish populations including their interactions in aquatic communities and ecosystems.
Go to CenterWashington Water Science Center
The Water Science Center's mission is to collect, analyze and disseminate the impartial hydrologic data and information needed to wisely manage water resources for the people of the United States and the State of Washington.
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Partnerships - Headquarters Seattle Laboratory
For more than five decades the WFRC has worked with partners to provide research findings to managers of aquatic resources.
Puget Sound Fall Chinook Estuarine Utilization - HSL
Tribal Relations
Puget Sound Fall Chinook Estuarine Utilization
Research on Emerging Viruses of Salmonids - HSL
Tribal Relations
Research on Emerging Viruses of Salmonids
Reference Laboratory Service - HSL
Tribal Relations
Reference Laboratory Service
Tribal Relations - Headquarters Seattle Laboratory
Tribal Relations
Fish Health and Fish Ecology Sections
Data Bases - Headquarters, Seattle Laboratory
Aquatic Pathogen Databases
Nucleospora Salmonis - HSL
Fish Diseases
Nucleospora Salmonis
Whirling Disease - HSL
Fish Diseases
Whirling Disease
Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS) - HSL
Fish Diseases
Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS)
Spring Viremia of Carp (SVC) - HSL
Fish Diseases
Spring Viremia of Carp (SVC)
Infectious Hematopoietic Necrosis (IHN) - HSL
Fish Diseases
Infectious Hematopoietic Necrosis (IHN)
Hydrodynamic modeling of the mouth of the Columbia River, Oregon and Washington, 2013
A process-based numerical model of the mouth of the Columbia River (MCR) and estuary, Oregon and Washington, was applied to simulate hydrodynamic conditions for the time period of the Office of Naval Research-funded River and Inlets Dynamics (RIVET II) field experiment conducted between May 9 and June 15, 2013. The model application was constructed using Delft3D, an open-source s
Surface-sediment grain-size distributions from the Elwha River delta, Washington, September 2013
This portion of the data release presents sediment grain-size data from samples collected on the Elwha River delta, Washington, in September 2013 (USGS Field Activity W-07-13-PS). Surface sediment was collected from 62 locations using a small ponar, or 'grab', sampler from the R/V Frontier on September 19, 2013 in depths between about 1 and 12 m around the delta. An additional
Continuous and optimized 3-arcsecond elevation model for the United States west coast (32-bit GeoTiff, geographic, NAD83)
Investigations of coastal change and coastal resources often require continuous elevation profiles from the seafloor to coastal terrestrial landscapes. Differences in elevation data collection in the terrestrial and marine environments result in separate elevation products that may not share a vertical datum. This data release contains the assimilation of multiple elevation products into a...
Oceanographic measurements obtained offshore of the Elwha River delta in coordination with the Elwha River Restoration Project, Washington, USA, 2010-2014
Time-series data of velocity, pressure, turbidity, conductivity, and temperature were collected near the mouth of the Elwha River, Washington, USA, from December 2010 through October 2014, for the Department of Interior’s Elwha River Restoration project. As part of this project, the U.S. Geological Survey studied the effects of renewed sediment supplies on the
Digital elevation models (DEMs) of the Elwha River delta, Washington, September 2010
This part of the data release presents a digital elevation model (DEM) derived from bathymetry and topography data of the Elwha River delta collected in September 2010. Two dams on the Elwha River, Washington State, USA trapped over 20 million m3 of sediment, reducing downstream sediment fluxes and contributing to erosion of the river's coastal delta. The removal of the Elwha and Glin
Characterization of seafloor photographs near the mouth of the Elwha River during the first two years of dam removal (2011-2013)
We characterized seafloor sediment conditions near the mouth of the Elwha River from underwater photographs taken every four hours from September 2011 to December 2013. A digital camera was affixed to a tripod that was deployed in approximately 10 meters of water. Each photograph was qualitatively characterized as one of six categories: (1) base, or no sediment; (2) low sediment;
Surface-sediment grain-size data from the mouth of the Columbia River, Oregon and Washington, 2013
This portion of the USGS data release presents sediment grain-size data from samples collected from the mouth of the Columbia River, Oregon and Washington, in 2013. Surface sediment was sampled using a small ponar, or 'grab', sampler on May 9, 2013 from the F/V Cape Windy at 3 locations. A handheld global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver was used to determine the lo
Digital elevation models (DEMs) of the Elwha River delta, Washington, September 2013
This part of the data release presents a digital elevation model (DEM) derived from bathymetry and topography data of the Elwha River delta collected in September 2013. Two dams on the Elwha River, Washington State, USA trapped over 20 million m3 of sediment, reducing downstream sediment fluxes and contributing to erosion of the river's coastal delta. The removal of the Elwha and Glin
Topography data from the Elwha River delta, Washington, September 2013
This part of the data release presents topography data from the Elwha River delta collected in September 2013. Topography data were collected on foot with global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receivers mounted on backpacks.
Terrestrial invertebrate abundance in the Elwha River estuary, Washington, in 2007 and 2013.
This portion of the data release presents terrestrial invertebrate abundance data from samples collected in emergent and shrub vegetation along the edge of the Elwha River estuary, Washington, in 2007 and 2013 (no associated USGS Field Activities numbers because data were collected predominantly by biologists from the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe). We deployed terrestrial insect fallout trap
Vegetation habitat units derived from 2012 aerial imagery and field data for the Elwha River estuary, Washington
Estuary vegetation cover delineated from 30 August 2012 0.15-meter-resolution NPS Elwha PlaneCam aerial imagery at a scale of 1:1500.
Fish abundance in the Elwha River estuary, Washington, from 2006 to 2014
This portion of the data release presents fish abundance data from samples collected in the Elwha River estuary, Washington, in 2006, 2007, 2013, and 2014 (no associated USGS Field Activities numbers because data were collected predominantly by biologists from the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe). We used the Puget Sound beach seining protocol (Simenstad and others, 1991) to sample
Large-scale dam removal on the Elwha River, Washington, USA: source-to-sink sediment budget and synthesis
Understanding landscape responses to sediment supply changes constitutes a fundamental part of many problems in geomorphology, but opportunities to study such processes at field scales are rare. The phased removal of two large dams on the Elwha River, Washington, exposed 21 ± 3 million m3, or ~ 30 million ...
Warrick, Jonathan A.; Bountry, Jennifer A.; East, Amy E.; Magirl, Christopher S.; Randle, Timothy J.; Gelfenbaum, Guy R.; Ritchie, Andrew C.; Pess, George R.; Leung, Vivian; Duda, Jeff J. Biotic and abiotic influences on abundance and distribution of nonnative Chinook salmon and native ESA-listed steelhead in the Wind River, Washington
Biotic and abiotic factors influence fish populations and distributions. Concerns have been raised about the influence of hatchery fish on wild populations. Carson National Fish Hatchery produces spring Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha in the Wind River, Washington, and some spawn in the river. Managers were concerned that Chinook salmon...
Jezorek, Ian G.; Connolly, Patrick J. Kinematics of shallow backthrusts in the Seattle fault zone, Washington State
Near-surface thrust fault splays and antithetic backthrusts at the tips of major thrust fault systems can distribute slip across multiple shallow fault strands, complicating earthquake hazard analyses based on studies of surface faulting. The shallow expression of the fault strands forming the Seattle fault zone of Washington State shows the...
Pratt, Thomas L.; Troost, K.G.; Odum, Jackson K.; Stephenson, William J. Thin‐ or thick‐skinned faulting in the Yakima fold and thrust belt (WA)? Constraints from kinematic modeling of the saddle mountains anticline
The Yakima fold and thrust belt (YFTB) deforms the Columbia River Basalt Group flows of Washington State. The YFTB fault geometries and slip rates are crucial parameters for seismic‐hazard assessments of nearby dams and nuclear facilities, yet there are competing models for the subsurface fault geometry involving shallowly rooted versus deeply...
Casale, Gabriele; Pratt, Thomas L. Contaminants of legacy and emerging concern in largescale suckers (Catostomus macrocheilus) and the foodweb in the lower Columbia River, Oregon and Washington, USA
We investigated occurrence, transport pathways, and effects of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants and other endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in aquatic media and the foodweb in the lower Columbia River. In 2009 and 2010, foodweb sampling at three sites along a gradient of contaminant exposure near Skamania (Washington),...
Nilsen, Elena B.; Zaugg, Steven D.; Alvarez, David A.; Morace, Jennifer L.; Waite, Ian R.; Counihan, Timothy D.; Hardiman, Jill M.; Torres, Leticia; Patino, Reynaldo; Mesa, Matthew G.; Grove, Robert A legacy of divergent fishery management regimes and the resilience of rainbow and cutthroat trout populations in Lake Crescent, Olympic National Park, Washington
As a means to increase visitation, early fisheries management in the National Park Service (NPS) promoted sport harvest and hatchery supplementation. Today, NPS management objectives focus on the preservation of native fish. We summarized management regimes of Olympic National Park's Lake Crescent, which included decades of liberal sport harvest...
Brenkman, Samuel J.; Duda, Jeffrey J.; Kennedy, Philip R.; Baker, Bruce M. Holocene earthquakes and right-lateral slip on the left-lateral Darrington-Devils Mountain fault zone, northern Puget Sound, Washington
Sources of seismic hazard in the Puget Sound region of northwestern Washington include deep earthquakes associated with the Cascadia subduction zone, and shallow earthquakes associated with some of the numerous crustal (upper-plate) faults that crisscross the region. Our paleoseismic investigations on one of the more prominent crustal faults, the...
Personius, Stephen F.; Briggs, Richard W.; Nelson, Alan R.; Schermer, Elizabeth R; Maharrey, J. Zebulon; Sherrod, Brian; Spaulding, Sarah A.; Bradley, Lee-Ann
Methow River Studies, Washington: abundance estimates from Beaver Creek and the Chewuch River screw trap, methodology testing in the Whitefish Island side channel, and survival and detection estimates from hatchery fish releases, 2013
Salmon and steelhead populations have been severely depleted in the Columbia River from factors such as the presence of tributary dams, unscreened irrigation diversions, and habitat degradation from logging, mining, grazing, and others (Raymond, 1988). The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been funded by the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) to...
Martens, Kyle D.; Fish, Teresa M.; Watson, Grace A.; Connolly, Patrick J.
Evaluation of the behavior and movement of adult summer steelhead in the lower Cowlitz River, Washington, following collection and release, 2013-2014
Summer steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) produced by a hatchery on the lower Cowlitz River, Washington, support a popular sport fishery during June–September each year. Many of these fish return to the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery and are held until they are spawned in December. In the past, fishery managers have released some of the steelhead that...
Kock, Tobias J.; Liedtke, Theresa L.; Ekstrom, Brian K.; Gleizes, Chris; Dammers, Wolf Assessing climate-change risks to cultural and natural resources in the Yakima River Basin, Washington, USA
We provide an overview of an interdisciplinary special issue that examines the influence of climate change on people and fish in the Yakima River Basin, USA. Jenni et al. (2013) addresses stakeholder-relevant climate change issues, such as water availability and uncertainty, with decision analysis tools. Montag et al. (2014) explores Yakama Tribal...
Hatten, James R.; Waste, Stephen M.; Maule, Alec G. Identifying stakeholder-relevant climate change impacts: a case study in the Yakima River Basin, Washington, USA
Designing climate-related research so that study results will be useful to natural resource managers is a unique challenge. While decision makers increasingly recognize the need to consider climate change in their resource management plans, and climate scientists recognize the importance of providing locally-relevant climate data and projections,...
Jenni, K.; Graves, D.; Hardiman, Jill M.; Hatten, James R.; Mastin, Mark C.; Mesa, Matthew G.; Montag, J.; Nieman, Timothy; Voss, Frank D.; Maule, Alec G. Wind River subbasin restoration: U.S. Geological Survey annual report November 2012 through December 2013
Executive Summary The Wind River subbasin in southwest Washington State provides habitat for a population of wild Lower Columbia River steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss. There have been no hatchery steelhead planted in the Wind River subbasin since 1994, and hatchery adults are estimated to be less than one percent of adults in any year (pers comm....
Jezorek, Ian G.; Connolly, Patrick J.
A1 West Transect – 2017
Permanent Site: A1 West Transect; Depth: 8.7 Meters (28.7 Feet); Distance from river mouth: 1.9 Kilometers (1.2 Miles) West; Pre/Post Dam Removal: 6 years post-dam removal; Lat/Long: 48.13870775, -123.586203; Site Description: Transect is in eastern part of Freshwater Bay. Sediment is primarily sand/sandy mud with patches of boulders. The sandy areas on the entire transect
GeoGirls_Sediment1
GeoGirls collect water samples and flow measurements to model the transport of volcanic sediments.
H2 East Transect – 2017
Permanent Site: H2 East Transect; Depth: 7.6 Meters (24.8 Feet); Distance from river mouth: 2.6 Kilometers (1.6 Miles) east; Pre/Post Dam Removal: 6 years post-dam removal; Lat/Long: 48.15008216,-123.53210661; Site Description: This site is medium to shallow depth. Substrate is mainly gravel with some sand, cobble and an occasional boulder and has not changed since dam
K1 East Transect – 2017
Permanent Site: K1 East Transect; Depth: 6.2 Meters (20.4 Feet); Distance from river mouth: 4.5 Kilometers (2.8 Miles) east; Pre/Post Dam Removal: 6 years post-dam removal; Lat/Long: 48.13592923,-123.5101581; Site Description: This is a shallow site. Sediment is a gravel/sand mixture. Both red (1:29 seconds) and brown seaweed was abundant but this year browns were
K1 West Transect – 2017
Permanent Site: K1 West Transect; Depth: 5.5 Meters (18.0 Feet); Distance from river mouth: 4.5 Kilometers (2.8 Miles) east; Pre/Post Dam Removal: 6 years post-dam removal; Lat/Long: 48.13592923,-123.51082988; Site Description: This is a shallow site. Sediment is a gravel/sand mixture. Both red (0:20, 0:25 seconds) and brown seaweed was abundant with the browns more
F2 West Transect – 2017
Permanent Site: F2 West Transect; Depth: 11.1 Meters (36.3 Feet); Distance from river mouth: 1.5 Kilometers (0.9 Miles) east; Pre/Post Dam Removal: 6 years post-dam removal; Lat/Long: 48.15672004,-123.55036603; Site Description: Substrate is mainly a gravel/cobble mixture with an occasional boulder. Seven species of brown seaweed were present. Seaweed was abundant but not
E2 East Transect – 2017
Permanent Site: E2 East Transect; Depth: 15.1 Meters (49.4 Feet); Distance from river mouth: 0.9 Kilometers (0.5 Miles) east; Pre/Post Dam Removal: 6 years post-dam removal; Lat/Long: 48.15653002,-123.56130401; Site Description: Video is only of the last 10 meters of the transect. This is one of our deeper sites. Substrate is mainly gravel/cobble with an occasional boulder
E2 West Transect – 2017
Permanent Site: E2 West Transect; Depth: 14.6 Meters (47.9 Feet); Distance from river mouth: 0.9 Kilometers (0.5 Miles) east; Pre/Post Dam Removal: 6 years post-dam removal; Lat/Long: 48.15653002, -123.56197605; Site Description: This is one of our deeper sites. Substrate is mainly gravel/cobble with scattered boulders. Only a few small brown seaweeds were present (acid
H1 East Transect – July 2017
Permanent Site: H1 East Transect; Depth: 5.2 Meters (16.9 Feet); Distance from river mouth: 2.4 Kilometers (1.5 Miles) east; Pre/Post Dam Removal: 6 years post-dam removal; Lat/Long: 48.1479177,-123.53472865; Site Description: This is a shallow site and one of the farthest removed from the effects of the sediment plume outside of the control sites. Substrate remains mainly
H1 West Transect – 2017
Permanent Site: H1 West Transect; Depth: 5.4 Meters (17.7 Feet); Distance from river mouth: 2.4 Kilometers (1.5 Miles) east; Pre/Post Dam Removal: 6 years post-dam removal; Lat/Long: 48.14803012,-123.53535558; Site Description: This is a shallow site and one of the farthest removed from the effects of the sediment plume outside of the control sites. Substrate remains
Mount St. Helens, WA seen from the flank of Mount Adams to east.
Mount St. Helens, Washington seen from the flank of Mount Adams to the east.
L1 East Transect – 2017
Permanent Site: L1 East Transect; Depth: 11.0 Meters (36.2 Feet); Distance from river mouth: 2.3 Kilometers (1.4 Miles) west; Pre/Post Dam Removal: 6 years post-dam removal; Lat/Long: 48.13957527,-123.59359993; Site Description: This transect is medium depth. Substrate is mainly fine sediment/sand/mud covered in a layer of brown diatoms (0:05 seconds). Scattered boulders
New WFRC Pump-house in Magnuson Park Provides Water for Scientific Research, Wetlands, Wildlife and Recreation
Building a river setback levee to reduce the risk of flood for a community may also help endangered fish species to thrive, according to the results of a novel computer model reported by the U.S. Geological Survey.
The U.S. Geological Survey announced the completion of its new Western Fisheries Research Center pump-house structure in the southeast part of Magnuson Park in Seattle. The pump-house provides water for scientific research, nearby wetlands and associated wildlife and recreation.
Water managers in eastern Washington now have access to the first U.S. Geological Survey computer model of the East Pasco Basin, allowing them to simulate “what-if” groundwater management scenarios, according to a USGS report.
OLYMPIA, Wash. – White-nose syndrome (WNS) has been confirmed in a little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) found near North Bend – the first recorded occurrence of this devastating bat disease in western North America. The presence of this disease was verified by the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Wildlife Health Center
The Sumas River, in northwest Washington, contains sediment that carries naturally occurring asbestos.
Partnership Paves the Way for Understanding Biology of Threatened Snake River Basin Fall Chinook
How Infectious Hematopoietic Necrosis (IHN) Got its Name
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.
Using Challenges and Prizes to Find Innovative Solutions
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.
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Locations
Washington Water Science Center
Phone: (253) 552-1600
Fax: (253) 552-1581
Western Fisheries Research Center (WFRC)
Phone: (206) 526-6282
Fax: (206) 526-6654
USGS Volcano Science Center
Phone: 360-993-8900
Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center
USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO)
vhpweb@usgs.gov
Phone: 360-993-8900
Fax: 360-993-8980
Columbia River Research Laboratory
Phone: (509) 538-2299
Fax: (509) 538-2843
Marrowstone Marine Field Station
Phone: (360) 385-1007
Fax: (360) 385-7207
Northwest Washington Field Office
Phone: (360) 312-8155 x2001
Fax: (360) 312-8565
Mid-Columbia Field Office
Phone: (509) 735-3739
Fax: (509) 735-3723
Upper Columbia Field Office
Phone: (509) 353-2649
Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center (FRESC) Olympic Field Station
fresc_outreach@usgs.gov
Phone: 360-565-3041
Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center (FRESC) Cascadia Field Station
fresc_outreach@usgs.gov
Phone: 206-616-1874
Fax: 206-685-0790
Contacts
Western Fisheries Research Center
Research at the WFRC focuses on the environmental factors responsible for the creation, maintenance, and regulation of fish populations including their interactions in aquatic communities and ecosystems.
Go to CenterWashington Water Science Center
The Water Science Center's mission is to collect, analyze and disseminate the impartial hydrologic data and information needed to wisely manage water resources for the people of the United States and the State of Washington.
Go to Center