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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Nanophyetus salmincola - MMFS
Fish Diseases
Nanophyetus salmincola
Early Detection Monitoring May Not Be Sufficient for Invasive Mussels in the Columbia River Basin
The ecological and economic costs of an invasive quagga or zebra mussel infestation in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. would be significant. The development of invasive mussel monitoring programs in the Pacific Northwest provides a unique opportunity to evaluate a regional invasive species detection effort early in its development. Although efforts are underway to monitor for the presence of...
Salmonid Population and Life History Research in Tributary Stream and River Habitats and Response to Dam Removal
Juvenile anadromous salmonids all spend some portion of their lives in freshwater. This time may vary from days to years depending upon species and run. Spring Chinook Salmon and Coho salmon generally spend one year in freshwater and Steelhead may spend up to five years in freshwater prior to beginning their journey to sea. Several projects at WFRC – CRRL are investigating populations, life-...
Questions and Answers About Salmon
A list of questions asked by students and answers provided by a USGS-WFRC Scientist.
Detection Protocols - Renibacterium salmoninarum
Protocols for the Detection of Renibacterium salmoninarum in salmon
Columbia River Basin Sturgeon Habitat Modeling
A study was conducted to identify habitat characteristics associated with age 0 White Sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus Richardson, 1863) recruitment in three reaches of the Columbia River Basin: Skamania reach (consistent recruitment), John Day reach (intermittent/inconsistent recruitment), and Kootenai reach (no recruitment).
Molecular Characterization of Novel Fish Viruses from Technical Assistance Cases
Viruses occur in many cultured and wild stocks of fish. William Batts collaborates with many government, state, tribal, and private research and diagnostic laboratories to aid in identification of these unknown replicating agents of uncertain pathogenicity. Typically, viruses can be replicated in a variety of fish cell lines and investigated at several temperatures to see if the cytopathic...
WFRC Organizational Chart
Organizational structure of the Western Fisheries Research Center
Species Studied by the Western Fisheries Research Center
Many species are studied at the Western Fisheries Research Center. These species include bacteria, birds, fish, invertebrates, parasites, plants, and viruses. The list contains both common and scientific names, and where each are being studied on the WFRC landscape.
Non-lethal Detection of Skin Injuries in Juvenile Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha by Fast Green FCF Dye
In fish, as in humans, an intact epidermis is critical to defense against entry of pathogens into the skin. Macroscopic examination of scale loss is the principal method of evaluating physical damage to juvenile salmonids out-migrating through hydroelectric dams in the Snake and Columbia Rivers, and in fish subjected to capture and handling procedures in locations such as hatcheries, fish...
Contaminants in Puget Sound Forage Fishes and Impacts to the Marine Food Web
Toxic chemical pollutants have been released into Puget Sound for decades by human activities. There’s a wide range of contaminants, from persistent compounds like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and flame retardants to contaminants of emerging concern. Aquatic species can be exposed to and accumulate contaminants, causing disease or disruption of biological processes like growth or...
Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii) - HSL
Species Studied
Cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii)
Surface-Water for Washington
Real-time, daily, peak-flow, field measurements, and statistics of current and historical data that describe stream levels, streamflow (discharge), reservoir and lake levels, surface-water quality, and rainfall in Washington. Surface-water data are collected and stored as either discrete field-water-level measurements or as continuous time-series data from automated recorders.
High-resolution bathymetry and acoustic-backscatter data collected in 2004, 2005, 2007, and 2010 in Skagit Bay, Washington
This data release provides the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center 2004, 2005, 2007, and 2010 bathymetry data that was collected in Skagit Bay, Washington as well as a merged 2005-2010 bathymetry grid. Also, this data release provides the acoustic-backscatter as a merged 2005-2010 backscatter image.
Data in support of 5-year sediment budget and morphodynamic analysis of Elwha River following dam removals
Dam removal changed the river's sediment budget and water flow, which affected the river's morphology. This data release presents digital elevation models, orthomosaic images, dam height measurements, sediment measurements, and river streamgage data that were collected to support studies on morphodynamic and sediment budget responses of the Elwha River to the removal of dams.
Data to Support Efficacy Studies of Injectable Tulathromycin for Reduction of Vertical Transmission of Renibacterium salmoninarum in Spring Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)
Bacterial kidney disease (BKD) caused by Renibacterium salmoninarum (Rs) occurs nearly worldwide where wild or cultured salmonid fishes are present. Control of BKD is confounded by its two modes of transmission, horizontal (fish-to-fish) and vertical (from female parent to progeny via the eggs). A highly successful BKD control strategy employed in Pacific Northwest hatcheries cu
Merged acoustic-backscactter imagery collected in 2005, 2007, and 2010, Skagit Bay, Washington
These metadata describe the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center (PCMSC) merged acoustic-backscatter imagery that was collected in 2005, 2007, and 2010 in Skagit Bay Washington that is provided as a 5-m resolution TIFF image. In 2004, 2005, 2007, and 2010 the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center (P
Distribution and seasonal differences in Pacific Lamprey and Lampetra spp eDNA across 18 Puget Sound watersheds, 2014 and 2015
These data contain all the raw results needed to support the conclusions for the final product. These data are water sampling locations (latitude and longitude), date of water sampling, quantitative PCR values for each water sample, and stream flow at USGS stream gauging stations on sampling day.
Susceptibility of Nanophyetus salmonicola cercariae to formalin, hydrogen peroxide and seawater
The ability of formalin, PEROX-AID® (hydrogen peroxide), and seawater to kill waterborne Nanophyetus salmincola cercariae was evaluated in vitro. Newly emerged waterborne cercariae survived for extended periods in freshwater, with 50-74% survival occurring in negative control groups after 24 hr. Exposure to dilutions of formalin reduced this survival time, with 0% of cerca
Inorganic compositional data for fine-grained Puget Sound sediment along the Burlington Northern Santa Fe rail line, September 2015
Nearshore surface sediment was collected with a petit ponar grab sampler between April 22 and September 17, 2015, at five sites in Puget Sound, Washington. Four sites were adjacent to the Burlington Northern Santa Fe rail line in urban and non-urban areas, and one site was in an urban area that was not adjacent to the rail line. Total and near-total major, minor, trace, and rare ear
Dataset: Molecular testing of adult Pacific salmon and trout (Oncorhynchus spp.) for several RNA viruses demonstrates widespread distribution of piscine orthoreovirus (PRV) in Alaska and Washington
Dataset for the publication 'Molecular testing of adult Pacific salmon and trout (Oncorhynchus spp.) for several RNA viruses demonstrates widespread distribution of piscine orthoreovirus (PRV) in Alaska and Washington'. This research was initiated in conjunction with a systematic, multi-agency surveillance effort in the United States (U.S.) in response to reported findings of in
Daily sediment loads during and after dam removal in the Elwha River, Washington, 2011 to 2016
Daily values of discharge and sediment loads were measured and estimated at U.S. Geological Survey gaging station 12046260, on the Elwha River at the diversion near Port Angeles, Washington. Daily data are reported from September 15, 2011 to September 30, 2016. Specific data include (1) date; (2) discharge; (3) suspended-sediment concentration and one standard-deviation bo
Probability of Streamflow Permanence (PROSPER) Continuous Parameter Grids (CPGs)
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has developed the PRObability of Streamflow PERmanence (PROSPER) model, a GIS raster-based empirical model that provides streamflow permanence probabilities (probabilistic predictions) of a stream channel having year-round flow for any unregulated and minimally-impaired stream channel in the Pacific Northwest region, U.S. The model provides annual
Streamgage measurements, Elwha River, Washington, 2011 to 2016
Streamgage levels on the Elwha River were measured from 2011 to 2016. These measurements show the height of the river's water surface, both in meters relative to the stream bed, as well as in meters relative to vertical geographic coordinates. Measurements were collected using a Global Water WL16 battery-operated vented water level logger in a hardened casing. The instrument was installed o...
Noble gas data from Goldfield and Tonopah epithermal Au-Ag deposits, ancestral Cascades Arc, USA: Evidence for a primitive mantle volatile source
The He, Ne, and Ar isotopic composition of fluid inclusions in ore and gangue minerals were analyzed to determine the source of volatiles in the high-grade Goldfield and Tonopah epithermal Au-Ag deposits in southwestern Nevada, USA. Ar and Ne are mainly atmospheric, whereas He has only a minor atmospheric component. Corrected 3He/4He ratios (...
Manning, Andrew H.; Hofstra, Albert H. Microfossil measures of rapid sea-level rise: Timing of response of two microfossil groups to a sudden tidal-flooding experiment in Cascadia
Comparisons of pre-earthquake and post-earthquake microfossils in tidal sequences are accurate means to measure coastal subsidence during past subduction earthquakes, but the amount of subsidence is uncertain, because the response times of fossil taxa to coseismic relative sea-level (RSL) rise are unknown. We measured the response of diatoms and...
Horton, B.P.; Milker, Yvonne; Dura, T.; Wang, Kelin; Bridgeland, W.T.; Brophy, Laura S.; Ewald, M.; Khan, Nicole; Engelhart, S.E.; Nelson, Alan R.; Witter, Robert C. Coastal habitat and biological community response to dam removal on the Elwha River
Habitat diversity and heterogeneity play a fundamental role in structuring ecological communities. Dam emplacement and removal can fundamentally alter habitat characteristics, which in turn can affect associated biological communities. Beginning in the early 1900s, the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams in Washington, USA, withheld an estimated 30...
Foley, Melissa M.; Warrick, Jonathan A.; Ritchie, Andrew C.; Stevens, Andrew W.; Shafroth, Patrick B.; Duda, Jeffrey J.; Beirne, Matthew M.; Paradis, Rebecca; Gelfenbaum, Guy R.; McCoy, Randall; Cubley, Erin S. Projecting community changes in hazard exposure to support long-term risk reduction: A case study of tsunami hazards in the U.S. Pacific Northwest
Tsunamis have the potential to cause considerable damage to communities along the U.S. Pacific Northwest coastline. As coastal communities expand over time, the potential societal impact of tsunami inundation changes. To understand how community exposure to tsunami hazards may change in coming decades, we projected future development (i.e. urban,...
Sleeter, Benjamin M.; Wood, Nathan J.; Soulard, Christopher E.; Wilson, Tamara Evidence for distributed clockwise rotation of the crust in the northwestern United States from fault geometries and focal mechanisms
Paleomagnetic and GPS data indicate that Washington and Oregon have rotated clockwise for the past 16 Myr. Late Cenozoic and Quaternary fault geometries, seismicity lineaments, and focal mechanisms provide evidence that this rotation is accommodated by north directed thrusting and right-lateral strike-slip faulting in Washington, and SW to W...
Brocher, Thomas M.; Wells, Ray E.; Lamb, Andrew P.; Weaver, Craig S. Cascadia subduction tremor muted by crustal faults
Deep, episodic slow slip on the Cascadia subduction megathrust of western North America is accompanied by low-frequency tremor in a zone of high fluid pressure between 30 and 40 km depth. Tremor density (tremor epicenters per square kilometer) varies along strike, and lower tremor density statistically correlates with upper plate faults that...
Wells, Ray; Blakely, Richard J.; Wech, Aaron G.; McCrory, Patricia A.; Michael, Andrew
Precipitation thresholds for landslide occurrence near Seattle, Mukilteo, and Everett, Washington
Shallow landslides along coastal bluffs frequently occur in the railway corridor between Seattle and Everett, Washington. These slides disrupt passenger rail service, both because of required track maintenance and because the railroad owner, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, does not allow passenger travel for 48 hours after a disruptive...
Scheevel, Caroline R.; Baum, Rex L.; Mirus, Benjamin B.; Smith, Joel B.
Effects of experimental removal of barred owls on population demography of northern spotted owls in Washington and Oregon—2016 progress report
Evidence indicates that competition with invasive barred owls (Strix varia) is causing rapid declines in populations of northern spotted owls (S. occidentalis caurina), and that the long-term persistence of spotted owls may be in question without additional management intervention. A pilot study in California showed that removal of barred owls in...
Wiens, J. David; Dugger, Katie M.; Lewicki, Krista E.; Simon, David C. 2010-2015 Juvenile fish ecology in the Nisqually River Delta and Nisqually Reach Aquatic Reserve
The return of tidal inundation to over 750 acres of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge (NNWR) in fall of 2009 was the crowning moment in the effort to protect and restore the Nisqually Delta. The Nisqually NWR project complemented three earlier restoration projects completed by the Nisqually...
Hodgson, Sayre; Ellings, Christopher S.; Rubin, Steve P.; Hayes, Michael C.; Duval, Walker; Grossman, Eric E. Trophic interactions and consumption rates of subyearling Chinook Salmon and nonnative juvenile American Shad in Columbia River reservoirs
We used a large lampara seine coupled with nonlethal gastric lavage to examine the diets and estimate consumption rates of subyearling Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha during July and August 2013. During August we also examined the diet and consumption rates of juvenile American Shad Alosa sapidissima, a potential competitor of subyearling...
Haskell, Craig A.; Beauchamp, David A.; Bollins, Stephen M Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus virological and genetic surveillance 2000–2012
Surveillance records of the acute RNA pathogen of Pacific salmonid fish infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus are combined for the first time to enable landscape-level ecological analyses and modeling. The study area is the freshwater ecosystems of the large Columbia River watershed in the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, as well as...
Breyta, Rachel; Brito, Ilana L.; Kurath, Gael; LaDeau, Shannon L. Geology of Seattle, a field trip
Seattle’s geologic record begins with Eocene deposition of fluvial arkosic sandstone and associated volcanic rocks of the Puget Group, perhaps during a time of regional strike-slip faulting, followed by late Eocene and Oligocene marine deposition of the Blakeley Formation in the Cascadia forearc. Older Quaternary deposits are locally exposed.Most...
Haugerud, Ralph A.; Kelsey, Harvey M.; Haugerud, Ralph A.; Troost, Kathy Goetz; Laprade, William T.
Herring (top) and juvenile Chinook salmon (bottom)
Herring (top) and juvenile Chinook salmon (bottom) flushed from the stomach of a resident Chinook salmon in Puget Sound.
Figure 1 from Miller, et al, 2018
Map highlighting sampling locations of 339 Northern Spotted Owls used in Miller, et al, 2018
GeoGirls_Core
GeoGirls take core samples at a pond near the Hummocks Trail to study groundwater transport.
GeoGirls Examing Tephra Deposits
The GeoGirls examined tephra (ash and pumice) deposits from Mount St. Helens’ eruptive past and learned how to create a stratigraphic column.
Elwha River delta mapping
Diana McCandless of the Washington State Department of Ecology pauses for a moment, on the beach around the point and to the east of the mouth of Elwha River. McCandless is part of a team of scientists from WA State and the USGS who are periodically mapping the delta and beach areas near the mouth of the Elwha River. The scientists are monitoring how sediment is being
...
Synchronized mapping
USGS and Washington State Department of Ecology scientists are geared up and ready to start a topographic survey at the mouth of the Elwha River, using handheld computers and backpack-mounted GPS equipment. From left to right are Owen Warrick (USGS Volunteer), Jon Warrick (USGS), Andy Ritchie (USGS), Heather Weiner (WA State Dept. of Ecology), Diana McCandless (WA State
...
Nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) for the detection of Rs
Nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) for the detection of Renibacterium salmoninarum. Agarose gel electrophoresis is used for size separation and visualization of amplified DNA sequences.
Whidbey Island snapshot west
A pair of video cameras overlook the coast along a beach on Whidbey Island, Island County at the northern boundary of Puget Sound in western Washington. View looks west out into the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Whidbey Island Video Camera 2 Snapshot
Image from video camera overlooking the coast along a beach on Whidbey Island, WA. Every half hour during daylight hours, the camera shoots video for 10 minutes. This snapshot is the first frame in the 10-minute sequence.
Whidbey Island video camera timex image
Timex (time-exposure) image: a time-averaged image of all frames, smoothing away surface waves and determining the location of persistent wave-breaking (indicative of shallow sandbars).
Whidbey Island video camera variance image
Variance image: the standard deviation of pixel intensity throughout the video, and it is useful for determining how much variation or movement is occurring at a given location.
Twenty-five middle-school girls from Washington and Oregon are participating in the fourth annual “GeoGirls” outdoor volcano science program at Mount St. Helens, jointly organized by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Mount St. Helens Institute.
In a study led by the USGS, researchers developed a framework to infer inbreeding rates of Northern Spotted Owls when incomplete parentage information exists.
WFRC Science Takes to the Skies with Unmanned Aerial Systems
Using Environmental DNA (eDNA) to Detect Lamprey
The USGS has published a new Fact Sheet, “Science Partnership between U.S. Geological Survey and the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe: Understanding the Elwha River Dam Removal Project.”
Science Collaboration Brings Dr. Maya Groner to WFRC
MEDIA ADVISORY
Have you ever wondered what scientists do at a volcano observatory when a volcano is not erupting? There is plenty to accomplish—probably more than you can imagine.
May is Volcano Preparedness Month in Washington, providing residents an opportunity to become more familiar with volcanic risk in their communities and learn about steps they can take to reduce potential impacts.
Researching Pacific Herring in Alaska’s Prince William Sound
USGS Expertise and Science Leads to Ballast Water Management Solutions
In planning restoration actions in rivers and streams, managers have typically used physical-based models.
USGS and Chinese Fish Health Specialists Meet in the People's Republic of China to Discuss Fish Health
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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