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Through advanced research and long-term monitoring, three Wisconsin-based USGS centers-the National Wildlife Health Center, the Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, and the Upper Midwest Water Science Center-provide the scientific information needed by managers, decision makers, and the public to protect, enhance, and restore ecosystems, water resources, and wildlife health in the Midwest.
News
Jean Adams Speaks at Sea Lamprey Wound Assessment Workshop
Scientists Learn to Categorize Sea Lamprey Wounds
Engel Presets on Adaptive Management of Phragmites at Wisconsin State-Wide invasive Species Meeting
Phragmites Adaptive Management Framework (PAMF)
GLSC Deepwater Science Program delivers annual reports, presentations to Great Lakes fishery managers at annual Lake Committee Meetings
Delivering Information to Fishery Managers in the Great Lakes Basin.
Publications
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. Sedimentology, sequence-stratigraphy, and geochemical variations in the Mesoproterozoic Nonesuch Formation, northern Wisconsin, USA
We use core descriptions and portable X-ray fluorescence analyses to identify lithofacies and stratigraphic surfaces for the Mesoproterozoic Nonesuch Formation within the Ashland syncline, Wisconsin. We group lithofacies into facies associations and construct a sequence stratigraphic framework based on lithofacies stacking and stratigraphic...
Kingsbury Stewart, Esther; Mauk, Jeffrey L.
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.
Areas of Concern: Benthos Toxicity at Wisconsin's AOCs
USGS is assessing sediment toxicity at Wisconsin's Sheboygan River and Milwaukee Estuary areas of concern (AOCs) on Lake Michigan. The study will assess if sediment toxicity from polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), selected metals, ammonia, or low dissolved oxygen is present at either acutely toxic or chronically toxic concentrations. Sediment toxicity...
Nutrient Monitoring Activities: Monitoring and Predicting the Impacts of Trees on Urban Stormwater Reduction
The effects of tree removal on the urban hydrologic cycle in order to measure the impact that trees have on stormwater runoff detention volume are being studied in two medium-density residential catchments in Fond du Lac, WI. A paired catchment statistical design and analysis of high-frequency measurements of storm event hydrographs and other monitoring data are being used to quantify...
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...
Water Quality Across Regional Stream Networks: The Influence of Land Cover and Land Use, Climate, and Biogeochemical Processing on Spatiotemporal Variance
Land cover and land use (LC/LU), climate, and biogeochemical processing are significant drivers of water quality in streams and rivers over broad scales of space and time. As LC/LU and climate continue to change we can expect changes in water quality. This project seeks to understand the drivers of spatial and temporal variability in water quality across scales using new and existing data to...
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.
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...
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....
MMSD Watercourse Corridor Study: Ecological Assessments and Trends
Changes in streams that result from urban development such as loss of stream habitat, inadequate or flashy streamflow, and degraded water quality can adversely affect communities of aquatic organisms. MMSD Watercourse Corridor Study ecological assessments evaluate water quality over time by pairing community assessments of aquatic organisms with chemical assessments using passive samplers.
Development of a FluEgg Model for the St. Croix River
The USGS partnered with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to collect hydraulic and water chemistry data in the lower St. Croix River for development of a model that predicts the probability of successful egg hatching and survival of juvenile invasive carp over a range of water temperature and streamflow conditions.
Monitoring and predicting the impacts of trees on urban stormwater volume reduction
Much has been learned about how effectively individual green infrastructure practices can reduce stormwater volume, however, the role of urban trees in stormwater detention is poorly understood. This study will quantify the effect of tree removal on the urban hydrologic cycle and measure the impact that trees have on stormwater runoff volume.
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.
The NGWMN Data Portal provides access to groundwater data from multiple, dispersed databases in a web-based mapping application. The Portal contains current and historical data including water levels, water quality, lithology, and well construction.
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.
The U.S. Geological Survey conducted a program of bedrock geologic mapping in much of the central and western upper peninsula of Michigan and parts of Wisconsin from the 1940’s until the late 1990’s. Geologic studies in this region are hampered by a scarcity of bedrock exposures because of a nearly continuous blanket of unconsolidated sediments resulting from glaciation of the reg
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
This worksheet displays the results of X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses of samples from the Ironwood Iron-Formation. Samples were analyzed using a PANalytical X'Pert Pro diffractometer using Co radiation and the results interpreted using Highscore Plus v.4.5. Mineral abundances were determined by Rietveld refinement.
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.
Models based upon coastal engineering equations have been developed to quantify wind fetch length and several physical wave characteristics including significant height, length, peak period, maximum orbital velocity, and shear stress.
In 2013, the first of several Regional Stream Quality Assessments (RSQA) was done in the Midwest United States. The Midwest Stream Quality Assessment (MSQA) was a collaborative study by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA), the USGS Columbia Environmental Research Center, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) National
USGS data portray selected structures data, including the location and characteristics of manmade facilities. Characteristics consist of a structure's physical form (footprint), function, name, location, and detailed information about the structure. The types of structures collected are largely determined by the needs of the disaster planning and response and homeland security organizations.
This map shows the provinces assessed by the USGS for undiscovered oil and gas resources.
Grayscale Scanned 100K USGS Quadrangles
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.
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.
The Bad River Groundwater Model Mapper accompanies the report "Groundwater-Surface Water Interactions in the Bad River Watershed, Wisconsin". The mapper displays model inputs such as aquifer recharge and hydraulic conductivity; outputs including water-table elevations, groundwater-flow directions, and stream baseflows; and the results of an analysis evaluating potential monitoring well locations.
Sedimentology, sequence-stratigraphy, and geochemical variations in the Mesoproterozoic Nonesuch Formation, northern Wisconsin, USA
We use core descriptions and portable X-ray fluorescence analyses to identify lithofacies and stratigraphic surfaces for the Mesoproterozoic Nonesuch Formation within the Ashland syncline, Wisconsin. We group lithofacies into facies associations and construct a sequence stratigraphic framework based on lithofacies stacking and stratigraphic...
Kingsbury Stewart, Esther; Mauk, Jeffrey 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. Isolation and molecular characterization of a novel picornavirus from baitfish in the USA
During both regulatory and routine surveillance sampling of baitfish from the states of Illinois, Minnesota, Montana, and Wisconsin, USA, isolates (n = 20) of a previously unknown picornavirus were obtained from kidney/spleen or entire viscera of fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) and brassy minnows (Hybognathus hankinsoni). Following the...
Phelps, Nicholas B.D.; Mor, Sunil K.; Armien, Anibal G.; Batts, William N.; Goodwin, Andrew E.; Hopper, Lacey; McCann, Rebekah; Ng, Terry Fei Fan; Puzach, Corey; Waltzek, Thomas B.; Delwart, Eric; Winton, James; Goyal, Sagar M.
Assessment of nutrient enrichment by use of algal-, invertebrate-, and fish-community attributes in wadeable streams in ecoregions surrounding the Great Lakes
The algal, invertebrate, and fish taxa and community attributes that best reflect the effects of nutrients along a gradient of low to high nutrient concentrations in wadeable, primarily midwestern streams were determined as part of the U.S. Geological Suvey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. Nutrient data collected from 64...
Frey, Jeffrey W.; Bell, Amanda H.; Hambrook Berkman, Julie A.; Lorenz, David L. Grassland bird use of oak barrens and dry prairies in Wisconsin
Grassland bird populations have declined more than any other group of birds in North America and are of conservation concern to state and federal agencies. We determined relative abundances of grassland birds in oak barrens and dry sand prairies—native habitat types rare in the state of Wisconsin. We also investigated the association of...
Vos, Susan M.; Ribic, Christine A. 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. Comparative morphology among northern populations of breeding Cooper's Hawks
Few studies at a broad geographical scale have characterized intraspecific variation in morphology of woodland hawks in the genus Accipiter. From 1999 to 2007 we investigated morphological variation in large samples of live Cooper's Hawks (A. cooperii) nesting in four study areas: coniferous woodland around Victoria, British Columbia, Canada...
Rosenfield, Robert N.; Rosenfield, Laura J.; Bielefeldt, John; Murphy, Robert K.; Stewart, Andrew C.; Stout, William E.; Driscoll, Timothy G.; Bozek, Michael A. Habitat selection and abundance of young-of-year smallmouth bass in north temperate lakes
Habitat use during early life history plays an important role in the ecology of smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu in north temperate lakes. The highest levels of mortality occur during the first year of life, and the habitat selected probably affects mortality. We used resource selection functions and abundance data from two northern...
Brown, Peter James; Bozek, Michael A.
Random Landscape Tool uses a raster data source and a table of classifications to create a random landscape. The classification table allows the user to weight the probability of occurrence to certain classes and to spatially restrict the distribution of classes to certain areas (zones).
USGS scientists install a double ring infiltrometer
In this photo, USGS scientists Megan Haserodt (Hydrologist) and Jenelle Wempner (Student Intern) install a double ring infiltrometer along a recreated floodplain of Underwood Creek, a tributary to the Milwaukee River and Lake Michigan in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The work is part of a larger study of how overbank flows and shallow groundwater in floodplains are connected for
...
Map dissolved oxygen and turbidity Milwaukee River
Map of dissolved oxygen and turbidity along the Milwaukee River.
These data are preliminary or provisional and are subject to revision. They are being provided to meet the need for timely best science.
One wild turkey in Wisconsin
One wild turkey in Wisconsin
View of Lake Michigan from beach
View of Lake Michigan from beach.
Downtown Milwaukee with crew row boat
View of downtown Milwaukee with single crew row boat on river.
Virus water sample filtration and collection system schematic
Custom-designed, automated, large-volume virus water sample filtration and collection system schematic.
USGS scientist extruding Lake Mendota sediment from polycarbonate tube
USGS scientist extruding Lake Mendota, WI sediment while carefully removing sediment that was in contact with the polycarbonate tube to eliminate “edge effects” and smearing of upper sediment into lower portions of the core, UW-Madison Science Hall Lab.
Newt spotted during fieldwork in Wisconsin
A newt seen during fieldwork in Wisconsin sampling newts for Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) an emerging fungal pathogen.
Scientists Examine Sea Lamprey Wound Characteristics
Tribal, state, and federal fisheries professionals classifying sea lamprey wounds on lake trout at a workshop in Red Cliff, Wisconsin.
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:
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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 storm drain that periodically discharges urban runoff
A storm drain that periodically discharges urban runoff, potentially carrying sediment and pollutants, into Oak Creek at 15th Avenue near a USGS gage.
Scientists Learn to Categorize Sea Lamprey Wounds
Phragmites Adaptive Management Framework (PAMF)
Delivering Information to Fishery Managers in the Great Lakes Basin.
Two types of human-associated bacteria and three types of human viruses were detected in Milwaukee streams within the Menomonee River watershed, according to a recent study led by the U.S. Geological Survey.
The first great geologic expeditions of the United States set off in the mid-1800s, equipped with mules, rifles, and early scientific instruments. Their goal: to uncover the great mineral wealth of the United States and learn about its earliest geologic history.
A regional assessment of untreated groundwater in the Cambrian-Ordovician aquifer system, which includes parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri and Indiana, is now available from the U.S. Geological Survey.
Oxygen levels, dissolved minerals among factors responsible for high concentrations of radium in untreated water from aquifer that underlies six states
A deadly amphibian disease called severe Perkinsea infections, or SPI, is the cause of many large-scale frog die-offs in the United States, according to a new study by the U.S. Geological Survey.
The public is invited to attend a free, family-friendly open house at a local U.S. Geological Survey center for ecology research on Saturday, September 9.
A carbonatite here, a glacial moraine there, a zig-zagging fault or two, even a behemoth of a batholith. The geology of the 50 States is an enormous patchwork of varied forms, beautiful in their variance but challenging to present as a single map.
Invasive mussels and less nutrients from tributaries have altered the Lake Michigan ecosystem making it more conducive to the stocking of lake trout and steelhead than Chinook salmon, according to a recent U.S. Geological Survey and Michigan State University study.
The cold-loving fungus (Pseudogymnoascus destructans, or Pd) that causes white-nose syndrome, a disease that has killed millions of North American bats during hibernation, could also spread in summer months. Bats and humans visiting contaminated caves and mines can inadvertently contribute to the spread of the fungus, according to a recently published study by the U.S. Geological Survey.
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Locations
Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center
Phone: (608) 783-6451
National Wildlife Health Center
Phone: 608-270-2400
Fax: 608-270-2415
Upper Midwest Water Science Center - Middleton, Wis., Office
Phone: 608-828-9901
Fax: 608-821-3817
Mercury Research Laboratory
mercury@usgs.gov
Phone: 608-828-9901
Fax: 608-821-3817
Laboratory for Infectious Disease and the Environment
Phone: 715-384-9673
Fax: 715-384-9157
Upper Midwest Water Science Center - Rice Lake, Wis., Field Office
Phone: 715-234-4015
Fax: 715-234-4550
Upper Midwest Water Science Center - Rhinelander, Wis., Field Office
Phone: 715-362-7476
Fax: 715-362-7479
Wisconsin Water Science Center - Southwest Field Office (Middleton)
Phone: 608-827-6255
Fax: 608-827-0851
Lake Superior Biological Station
mvinson@usgs.gov
Phone: 715-682-6163
Fax: 715-682-6511
Upper Midwest Water Science Center - Milwaukee, Wis., Project Office
Phone: 414-962-2582
Upper Midwest Water Science Center - Green Bay, Wis., Project Office
Phone: 920-655-0273