Unified Interior Regions
Region 1: North Atlantic-Appalachian
Our Science Centers
The NAA Region has 15 Science Centers spanning 14 NE States and Washington, DC. The Centers conduct interdisciplinary biologic, geologic, hydrologic, and energy monitoring and research addressing natural resource issues facing our nation.
Learn moreFebruary Photo Contest
Check out the winning photographs in the February 2020 Photo Contest! Categories include People, USGS at Work, Where We Work, and Honorable Mention
See the photosRegions L2 Landing Page Tabs
Status of American Eel populations in the Mohawk River Basin
Background: The waters of the Mohawk River basin are inhabited by one of the richest fish communities on the East Coast. The American Eel, Anguilla rostrata, is a unique member of this community, exhibiting a catadramous (maturing in fresh water and spawning in salt water) life history. Like many migratory fish, the American Eel has suffered a general decline across the East Coast largely...
FEMA project - Franklin and Orleans counties in Vermont
For the Franklin and Orleans Counties Risk MAP project, the USGS New England Water Science Center will develop new analyses of flood risk throughout both counties and will produce updated flood insurance rate maps (FIRMs) for all communities in the counties.
Real-Time Storm Response
Coastal change forecasts and pre- and post-storm photos documenting coastal change for landfalling storms. Currently responding to Hurricane Dorian.
Track down survey of PCBs in three tributaries to the Niagara River Area of Concern (AOC)
Background Industrial discharges of toxic and bio-accumulating compounds to the Niagara River and its tributaries have occurred over many decades. High concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been found in samples of fish tissue from many locations, including three tributaries to the Niagara River: Tonawanda Creek, Two mile Creek, and Rattlesnake Creek (study reaches listed in...
Coastal System Change at Fire Island, New York
Fire Island is a 50-km long barrier island along the south shore of Long Island, New York. The island is comprised of seventeen year-round communities; federal, state, and county parks; and supports distinct ecosystems alongside areas of economic and cultural value. In addition to providing resources to its residents, the barrier island also protects the heavily-populated mainland from storm...
M5.8 August 23, 2011 Mineral, Virginia
On August 23, 2011 tens of millions of people along the East Coast suddenly felt the earth shaking from the largest earthquake in the eastern U.S. since the M5.8 earthquake in 1944 near Cornwall and Massena, New York.
Passage Technologies for American Eels
The American eel (Anguilla rostrata) migrates into freshwater in the juvenile (glass eel and elver) stage, feeds and grows in freshwater habitats, and migrates downstream to the ocean to spawn as an adult. Migrating eels frequently encounter barriers in river environments, primarily in the form of dams, that limit access of juveniles to upstream growth habitat, and can injure or kill...
New England WSC Seminar series Barclay 20190724
Groundwater discharge zones supply baseflow, provide critical thermal refugia for aquatic organisms, and serve as point sources of nutrients and contaminants to aquatic ecosystems. Despite their importance, the spatial distribution and the water quality effects of groundwater discharge zones across river networks are seldom predicted at regional scales due to the highly spatially heterogeneous...
Development of a Water Quality Monitoring Strategy for Mount Hope Bay and the Taunton River Estuary, Massachusetts
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) are collaborating on a study to develop a water quality monitoring strategy for Mount Hope Bay and the Taunton River Estuary.
Water Quality Sampling and Monitoring of the Pawcatuck River Watershed
The Pawcatuck River and the Pawcatuck River Estuary and Little Narragansett Bay form part of the boundary between the States of Connecticut and Rhode Island. Both states have identified water quality impairments within these waters related to nutrients (insufficient oxygen) and bacteria. Studies of the eutrophication potential of Long Island Sound embayments have identified that the Pawcatuck...
Baselines used to calculate rate of shoreline change statistics for New York State coastal wetlands
This data set contains baselines used to calculate shoreline rate of change statistics for New York State coastal wetlands. Analysis was performed in ArcMap 10.5.1 using the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS), created by U.S. Geological Survey, version 5.0, and polyline vector historical shorelines from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) . The baselines
The Mississippi Alluvial Plain Aquifers: An Engine for Economic Activity - Data
The data are calculations of economic impacts of major agricultural commodities (corn, cotton, rice, soybeans, and catfish) produced in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain region for the years 2013 through 2017.
Linear regression rate of shoreline change for New York State coastal wetlands
This data set contains rate of shoreline change statistics for New York State coastal wetlands. Analysis was performed in ArcMap 10.5.1 using historical vector shoreline data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Rate of change statistics were calculated using the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS), created by U.S. Geological Survey, version 5.0. En
Estimated low-flow statistics at ungaged stream locations in New Jersey, water year 2018
Estimates of various low-flow statistics were computed at 51 ungaged stream locations throughout New Jersey during the 2018 water year using methods in the published reports, Streamflow Characteristics and Trends in New Jersey, Water Years 1897-2003 (Watson and others, 2005) and Implementation of MOVE.1, Censored MOVE.1, and Piecewise MOVE.1 Low-Flow Regressions with Applications at
Records of Selected Wells for Geohydrology and Water Quality Investigation of the Unconsolidated Aquifers in the Enfield Creek Valley, Town of Enfield, Tompkins County, New York, 2013-18
From 2013 to 2018, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Town of Enfield and the Tompkins County Planning Department, collected and compiled well records (306 in total) within and outside the unconsolidated aquifer in the Town of Enfield, New York. Sources of well data included previous USGS groundwater studies, the USGS National Water Information System, and well
Occurrence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, Long Island and New York City, New York
State and local county health departments have detected per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in groundwater downgradient of airports and military and firefighting training areas in Long Island, New York. However, the occurrence and spatial distribution of PFAS throughout the surficial aquifer is not well established. Shallow groundwater samples were collected in 2018 from two observ
Data for Assessing the Status of Macroinvertebrate Communities and Sediment Toxicity in the Buffalo River Area of Concern, New York
Data from 10-day sediment toxicity tests of bed sediments from the Buffalo River Area of Concern (AOC) and reference reaches on the Buffalo River upstream of the AOC, Erie County, New York, respectively. Specifically, the data was used to compare the survival and growth of two macroinvertebrate species in sediments from study sites and laboratory controls. Results are from 10-day sedi
Electron microprobe geochemistry of apatite crystals in the iron oxide-apatite ores of the Adirondack Mountains, New York, 2016-2017
The iron oxide-apatite (IOA) deposits near Mineville in the Adirondack Mountains, New York, have been of interest for their rich magnetite ore since the mid-1700s but have attracted renewed attention due to their potential as rare earth element (REE) resources (McKeown and Klemic, 1956; Lupulescu and others, 2016; Taylor and others, 2018). Apatite is the main REE-host a
Biomarker analysis of cold seeps along the United States Atlantic Margin
Results of lipid biomarker concentration and compound specific isotopes analyzed from authigenic carbonates and surrounding sediment collected from Baltimore and Norfolk seep fields along the United States Atlantic Margin are presented in csv format. Samples were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey and Duke University between 2012 and 2015 using remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). Geochemi...
USGS Surface-Water Data for New Jersey
Nationally, USGS surface-water data includes more than 850,000 station years of time-series data that describe stream levels, streamflow (discharge), reservoir and lake levels, surface-water quality, and rainfall. The data are collected by automatic recorders and manual field measurements at installations across the Nation.
USGS Groundwater Data for New Jersey
The Ground-Water database contains ground-water site inventory, ground-water level data, and water-quality data. Additional ground-water information for New Jersey is available at the New Jersey Water Science Center web page. This page includes geologic maps, a description of the aquifers in New Jersey, and references to selected ground-water reports.
USGS Water-Quality Data for New Jersey
At selected surface-water and ground-water sites, the USGS maintains instruments that continuously record physical and chemical characteristics of the water including pH, specific conductance, temperature, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, and percent dissolved-oxygen saturation. At sites where this information is transmitted automatically, data are available from the real-time data system.
Movement-assisted localization from acoustic telemetry data
Acoustic telemetry technologies are being increasingly deployed to study a variety of aquatic taxa including fishes, reptiles, and marine mammals. Large cooperative telemetry networks produce vast quantities of data useful in the study of movement, resource selection and species distribution. Efficient use of acoustic telemetry data requires...
Hostetter, Nathan J.; Royle, Andy Short and long-term movement of mudflows of the Mississippi River Delta Front and their known and potential impacts on oil and gas infrastructure
Mudflows on the Mississippi River Delta Front (MRDF) are recognized hazards to oil and gas infrastructure in the shallow (20 – 300 m water depth) Gulf of Mexico. Preconditioning of the seafloor for failure results from high sedimentation rates coupled with slope over-steepening, under-consolidation, and abundant biogenic gas production....
Chaytor, Jason; Baldwin, Wayne E.; Bentley, Samuel J.; Damour, Melanie; Jones, Douglas; Maloney, Jillian; Miner, Michael; Obelcz, Jeff; Xu, Kehui
Assessment of microscopic pathology in fishes collected at sites impacted by wood tar in Pennsylvania
In an effort to determine whether fish populations in an area affected by wood tar waste exhibited health effects, fish were collected and analyzed with histopathology. Multiple species, including Mottled Sculpin (Cottus bairdii), Creek Chub (Semotilus atromaculatus), White Sucker (Catostumus commersonii), Redside Dace (Clinostomus elongatus),...
Walsh, Heather L.; Blazer, Vicki S.; Mazik, Patricia M.; Sperry, Adam J.; Pavlick, Diana The role of sand lances (Ammodytes sp.) in the Northwest Atlantic Ecosystem: A synthesis of current knowledge with implications for conservation and management
The American sand lance (Ammodytes americanus, Ammodytidae) and the Northern sand lance (A. dubius, Ammodytidae) are small forage fishes that play an important functional role in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean (NWA). The NWA is a highly dynamic ecosystem currently facing increased risks from climate change, fishing and energy development. We need a...
Staudinger, Michelle D.; Goyert, Holly ; Suca, Justin ; Coleman, Kaycee ; Welch, Linda ; Llopiz, Joel ; Wiley, Dave ; Altman, Irit ; Applegate, Andew ; Auster, Peter ; Baumann, Hannes ; Beaty, Julia ; Boelke, Deirdre ; Kaufman, Les ; Loring, Pam ; Moxley, Jerry ; Paton, Suzanne ; Powers, Kevin; Richardson, David ; Robbins, Jooke ; Runge, Jeff ; Smith, Brian ; Spiegel, Caleb ; Steinmetz, Halley Reconnaissance of surface water estrogenicity and the prevalence of intersex in smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) inhabiting New Jersey
The observation of testicular oocytes in male fishes has been utilized as a biomarker of estrogenic endocrine disruption. A reconnaissance project led in the Northeastern United States (US) during the period of 2008–2010 identified a high prevalence of intersex smallmouth bass on or near US Fish & Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuges...
Iwanowicz, Luke; Smalling, Kelly; Blazer, Vicki S.; Braham, Ryan P.; Sanders, Lakyn R.; Boetsma, Anna; Procopio, Nick; Goodrow, Sandra; Buchanan, Gary; Millemann, Daniel; Ruppel, Bruce; Vile, John; Henning, Brian; Abatemarco, John
Pooling resources across organizations—Multisource water-quality data for the Delaware River Basin
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently launched a pilot Integrated Water Availability Assessment (IWAA) in the Delaware River Basin to explore, test, and refine systems and processes for assessing water availability for human and ecological uses based on water monitoring data. Water-quality monitoring provides citizens, managers, and...
Murphy, Jennifer C.; Shoda, Megan E. A comparison of groundwater sampling technologies, including passive diffusion sampling, for radionuclide contamination
Using traditional high-flow purge methods for long-term water quality monitoring of deep groundwater wells can be expensive, affect contaminant migration, and produce excessive volumes of discharge water that can be difficult to manage. The use of low-flow pumping methods and depth discrete bailers (DDBs) can reduce the cost of sampling deep...
Frus, Rebecca J.; Imbrigiotta, Thomas Identifying life history traits that promote occurrence for four minnow (Leuciscidae) species in intermittent Gulf Coastal Plain streams
- Life history traits of stream fishes partly reflect adaptations to disturbance regimes, which in turn shape assemblage composition via environmental filters. In this study, we focused on life history traits of four morphologically similar leuciscid species in coastal plain streams of southwestern GA that are shifting from historically perennial...
Davis, Jessica L.; Freeman, Mary C.; Golladay, Stephen W. Gas hydrate petroleum systems: What constitutes the “seal”?
The gas hydrate petroleum system (GHPS) approach, which has been used to characterize gas hydrates in nature, utilizes three distinct components: a methane source, a methane migration pathway, and a reservoir that not only contains gas hydrate, but also acts as a seal to prevent methane loss. Unlike GHPS, a traditional petroleum system (PS)...
Jang, Junbong; Waite, William F.; Stern, Laura A.
Assessment of bridge scour countermeasures at selected bridges in the United States, 2014–18
Erosion of the streambed, known also as scour, around pier 3 of the New York State Thruway bridge over Schoharie Creek caused the pier to fail, which ultimately resulted in bridge failure during the flooding event of April 5, 1987. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) responded to the need for better guidance on the evaluation of bridge scour...
Suro, Thomas P.; Huizinga, Richard J.; Fosness, Ryan L.; Dudunake, Taylor Application of airborne LiDAR and GIS in modeling trail erosion along the Appalachian Trail, New Hampshire, USA
Recreational activities can negatively affect protected area landscapes and resources and soil erosion is frequently cited as the most significant long-term impact to recreational trails. Comprehensive modeling of soil loss on trails can identify influential factors that managers can manipulate to design and manage more sustainable trails. Field...
Eagleston, Holly; Marion, Jeffrey L. Borehole‐scale testing of matrix diffusion for contaminated‐rock aquifers
A new method was developed to assess the effect of matrix diffusion on contaminant transport and remediation of groundwater in fractured rock. This method utilizes monitoring wells constructed of open boreholes in fractured rock to conduct backward diffusion experiments on chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) in groundwater. The...
Harte, Philip; Brandon, William C.
Science Stroll 2019
Marinna Martini doing an instrumentation show-and-tell at the 2019 Science Stroll.
Acquisition van on-board the Warren Jr.
Cape Cod Bay Survey 2019. Acquisition van life. Jake Fredericks (St. Pete) and Wayne Baldwin (Woods Hole) inside the Aquisition Van watching all the data come in and eating dinner.
Acquisition van on-board the Warren Jr.
Cape Cod Bay Survey 2019. Acquisition van life. Laura Brothers (Woods Hole) inside the Aquisition Van watching all the data come in and eating dinner.
Deploying the s-boom
USGS deploying the s-boom into Cape Cod Bay during the Cape Cod Bay 2019 Survey.
Deploying the s-boom
USGS deploying the s-boom into Cape Cod Bay during the Cape Cod Bay 2019 Survey.
Securing the streamer
The start of the Cape Cod Bay 2019 Survey. Eric, Wayne, and Dave are made sure the streamer was ready for when they reach the study area.
HRECOS gage Pier 26 New York, NY
Riley Behrens and Anthony Cacace are replacing an intake on Hudson River Environmental Conditions Observing System (HRECOS) gage 01376520 Hudson River at Pier 26 at New York, NY. Photo by Natalie Cheung (Public domain
...
Children's School of Science
USGS scientist Seth Ackerman shows students at the Children's School of Science how we map the seafloor. This was part of the pre-cruise for the Cape Cod Bay 2019 Survey.
Schoharie Creek during a fish community survey
A blocking seine prevents fish from moving in or out of a study reach on the Schoharie Creek during a fish community survey conducted on July 18th by Scott George, Barry Baldigo, and technicians from the New York Water Science Center. Photo by Scott George
Ohio River at Ironton, OH - water quality sampler
Ohio River at Ironton, OH - water quality sampler
Ohio River at Ironton, OH - water quality sampler closeup
Ohio River at Ironton, OH - water quality sampler closeup
Ohio River at Ironton, OH - water quality sampling
Ohio River at Ironton, OH - water quality sampling
A USGS analysis of New Jersey water quality trends found levels of total nitrogen and total phosphorus, which fuel algae blooms, declined or stayed the same at most stream sites between the 1970s and 2011. At all sites studied, chlorides from road salt increased over that time.
A recent interpretive review of scientific literature performed by the U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Rochester sheds light on the interactions of gas hydrates and climate.
If coastal salt marshes are like savings accounts, with sediment as the principal, all eight Atlantic and Pacific coast salt marshes studied are "in the red," researchers found.
A regional assessment of untreated groundwater in the combined Valley and Ridge and Piedmont and Blue Ridge aquifers in the eastern United States is now available from the U.S. Geological Survey.
A regional assessment of untreated groundwater in the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifer system in the eastern United States is now available from the U.S. Geological Survey.
Hundreds of articles have been written about the largest volcanic eruption in recorded history, at Indonesia’s Mt. Tambora just over 200 years ago. But for a small group of New England-based researchers, one more Tambora story needed to be told, one related to its catastrophic effects in the Gulf of Maine that may carry lessons for intertwined human-natural systems facing climate change today.
Richard Batiuk got to know the Chesapeake Bay in the early 1970s. During visits with his friends and family, they would swim and boat, and fish would practically jump aboard. He was young but knew he wanted to live and work on the bay.
Water users around the country can now view the past and simulated future of hydrologic processes.
The Interior Department’s Climate Science Centers, managed by USGS, are helping the National Park Service pinpoint the specific impacts of climate change on parks and their cultural and natural resources. Doing so will help managers answer a critical question: which resources will require human intervention to ensure their continued existence?
USGS researchers ground-truthed Hurricane Sandy's October 2012 storm tides in New Jersey and found northern coastal communities had significantly higher storm tides than southern ones did, though flood damage was widespread in both areas. The findings suggest that some southern New Jersey communities may be underestimating their future flood risks.
Online sites will provide the first real-time, user-friendly Inner Harbor water information
Social Media
Locations
Region 1: North Atlantic-Appalachian
New York Water Science Center - Ithaca Program Office
gkbutch@usgs.gov
Phone: (607) 266-0217
Fax: (607) 266-0521
New York Water Science Center - Coram Program Office
saterrac@usgs.gov
Phone: (631) 736-0783
Fax: (631) 736-4283
Science and Decisions Center
MD-DE-DC Water Science Center
information@usgs.gov
Phone: 443-498-5500
Fax: 442-498-5510
National Minerals Information Center
nmicrecordsmgt@usgs.gov
Fax: 703-648-4995
New England Water Science Center - Connecticut Office
Phone: 860-291-6740
Fax: 860-291-6799
Pennsylvania Water Science Center
Phone: (717) 730-6900
Fax: (717) 730-6997
New Jersey Water Science Center
Phone: (609) 771-3900
Fax: (609) 771-3915
New England Water Science Center - New Hampshire/Vermont Office
Phone: (603) 226-7800
Fax: (603) 226-7894
Eastern Energy Resources Science Center
Eastern Mineral & Environmental Resources Science Center
Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center
Phone: (804) 261-2600
Fax: (804) 261-2657
New England Water Science Center - Massachusetts/Rhode Island Office
Phone: (508) 490-5000
Fax: (508) 490-5068
Chesapeake Bay Activities
Phone: 443-498-5552
Fax: 443-498-5510
New York Water Science Center - Troy Program Office
dc_ny@usgs.gov
Phone: (518) 285-5695
Fax: (518) 285-5601
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Phone: 508-548-8700
Fax: 508-457-2310
Leetown Science Center
Phone: 304 724-4400
Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
webmaster@patuxent.usgs.gov
Phone: 301 497-5500
Florence Bascom Geoscience Center
Phone: 703-648-5953
New England Water Science Center - Maine Office
Phone: 207 622-8201
LSC Fish Health Laboratory
kmbriggs@usgs.gov
Phone: 304-724-4430
Fax: 304-724-4435
LSC Aquatic Ecology Laboratory
faulkners@usgs.gov
Phone: 304-724-4471
Fax: 304-724-4465
LSC Conte Anadromous Fish Laboratory
aelskus@usgs.gov
Phone: 413-863-9475
Fax: 413-863-9810
LSC Northern Appalachian Research Laboratory
hgalbraith@usgs.gov
Phone: 570-724-3322, ext. 230
Fax: 570-724-2525
Patuxent Wildlife Research Center - Beltsville Lab
Patuxent Wildlife Research Center - Virginia Polytechnic Institute
New York Water Science Center - Potsdam Field Office
gkbutch@usgs.gov
Phone: (315) 265-4410 / (518) 285-5602
Fax: (315) 265-2166