Unified Interior Regions
Region 5: Missouri Basin
USGS Science Centers in the Missouri Basin Region
For more information on what each center is doing in the Missouri Basin, please follow the links below!
Wyoming - Montana Water Science Center
Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center
Regions L2 Landing Page Tabs
Probability of Streamflow Permanence (PROSPER)
PRObability of Streamflow PERmanence (PROSPER)
Rivers and streams are constantly changing. Streamflows can change throughout the year and between years due to snowmelt, precipitation, diversions, and return flows. For many streams, these fluctuations determine whether a stream has year-round flow or not. PROSPER is a project initiated to better understand what causes these fluctuations...
Bridge Scour in Montana
Bridge scour is the erosion of streambed material away from pier foundations and abutments and is the leading cause of bridge failure in the United States (Richardson and Davis, 2001). Since the early 1990s, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) have had a cooperative bridge scour project in Montana.
Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team
The Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team (IGBST) is an interdisciplinary group of scientists and biologists responsible for long-term monitoring and research efforts on grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE). The team was formed by the Department of the Interior (DOI) in 1973 as a direct result of controversy...
Impacts of Disease on Wolves in Yellowstone National Park
In 1995 and 1996, wolves were reintroduced into the Northern Rockies where they have since established and spread. Within Yellowstone National Park, one of the core protected release sites, the unmanaged population steadily increased to high densities, producing a large wolf population susceptible to infections such as canine parvovirus (CPV), canine distemper virus (CDV) and sarcoptic mange...
Pneumonia in Bighorn Sheep
Bighorn sheep populations are often impacted by outbreaks of pneumonia that are suspected to come from domestic sheep and goats.
Quantitative Disease Ecology
Researchers at the USGS are working on developing new quantitative methods to study disease dynamics in wildlife systems as well as systems at the wildlife-domestic-human interface. Much of our work focuses on how host population structure affects disease invasion, persistence and control in wildlife disease systems. We tackle these issues with a combination of simulation and statistical...
Brucellosis
Brucellosis is a nationally and internationally regulated disease of livestock with significant consequences for animal health, public health, and international trade.
Bridge Scour Publications
Publications about North and South Dakota bridge scour.
Swiftcurrent Glacier 1910 - 2016
In 1910, the year Glacier National Park was established, Swiftcurrent Glacier filled this hanging valley just below the Continental Divide. In 2016, it is obvious where the glacier has receded from the cliff edge and lateral moraine that once defined its extent. Swiftcurrent fire lookout can be seen on top of the pyramid-shaped mountain in the 2016 photo.
Please respect the...
Grinnell Glacier 1938 - 2016
Notice the man standing on the glacier in the center of the historic photograph. The figure lends a frame of reference to the photo pair, allowing the viewer to more easily interpret the depth of ice and the loss of volume when compared to the 2016 image.
Grinnell Glacier 1911 - 2016
The historic image shows how the upper bench of ice flowed into the main body of Grinnell Glacier. By the early 1920s, the glacier’s volume had been reduced to the point that the two pieces became disconnected. The upper bench, considered a separate glacier, was later renamed The Salamander Glacier for its salamander-like profile against the headwall. The Continental Divide runs along the...
Grinnell Glacier, circa 1888-2016
This historic image is one of the oldest images re-photographed among the collection. The massive wall of ice that constituted the terminus of Grinnell Glacier has receded beyond view from this point. Each summer thousands of hikers take the well-worn trail to be rewarded with the sight of the remnant Grinnell Glacier and Upper Grinnell Lake.
Image Use...
Boundaries data or governmental units represent major civil areas including states, counties, Federal, and Native American lands, and incorporated places such as cities and towns.
The National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) and Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD) are used to portray surface water on The National Map.
The USIEI is a comprehensive, nationwide listing of known high-accuracy topographic and bathymetric data for the United States and its territories. The project is a collaborative effort of the USGS and NOAA with contributions from other federal agencies. The inventory supports the 3D Elevation Program and the Integrated Ocean and Coastal Mapping effort. This resource is updated in Spring and Fall.
The 3DEP products and services available through The National Map consist of lidar point clouds (LPC), 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 Flattop Mountain SNOTEL (SNOw TELemetry) station is one of nearly 600 similar stations operated throughout the western United States by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS, U.S. Department of Agriculture). These stations measure and record Snow Water Equivalent (SWE), which is the weight of snow water equivalent to inches of water. Most SNOTEL sites also measure temperature an
Orthoimagery data typically are high resolution aerial images that combine the visual attributes of an aerial photograph with the spatial accuracy and reliability of a planimetric map. The National Map offers public domain, 1-meter orthoimagery for the conterminous United States with many urban areas and other locations at 2-foot or finer resolution.
The National Map offers a collection of small-scale datasets, most of which are at 1:1,000,000. The National Map publishes two data collections at one million-scale: one for Global Map users and one for National Map users. In terms of vector geometry, the lines, points, and areas in these data collections are identical. The difference is in the attributes assigned to these features.
WaterWatch is a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) World Wide Web site that displays maps, graphs, and tables describing real-time, recent, and past streamflow conditions for the United States. The real-time information generally is updated on an hourly basis.
Airborne electromagnetic (AEM) and magnetic survey data were collected during October 2014 in a 553-square-kilometer area that includes the East Poplar oil field on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in northeastern Montana, USA. Data surround the city of Poplar and extend south into the Missouri River floodplain. Data were acquired with the SkyTEM301 transient electromagnetic helicopter-born
This data release consists of a compilation of previously published mineral potential maps that were used for the Sagebrush Mineral-Resource Assessment (SaMiRA) project. This information was used as guides for assessing mineral potential assessment of approximately 10 million acres in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming. Specifically, the compilation was used to identify the d
The Land Treatment Digital Library (LTDL) was created by the USGS to catalog legacy land treatment information on Bureau of Land Management lands in the western United States. The LTDL can be used by federal managers and scientists for compiling information for data-calls, producing maps, generating reports, and conducting analyses at varying spatial and temporal scales.
This software allows agencies, organizations, and individuals to download an empty, stand-alone Land Treatment Digital Library database to individual or networked computers. Data entered in these databases may be submitted to the USGS for possible inclusion in the online Land Treatment Digital Library (https://ltdl.wr.usgs.gov).
Drilling an Ice Core
Researchers start drilling an ice core in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
Verification of Reference Elevations at USGS streamgage in SD
Student hydrologic technician Jackie Eldredge holding the rod over one of the known reference points at streamgage 06404998, Grace Coolidge Creek near Game Lodge near Custer, SD. One step in ensuring consistent streamflow data is verifying that the reference elevation at the streamgage stays consistent and that any changes are documented. All of the USGS streamgages have
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Daily Operations of Landsat 7
What it takes each day to keep Landsat 7 operating smoothly. Hear the stories from inside the L7 Mission Operation Center.
Water-Quality Sampling at Ellsworth Air Force Base
Hydrologic Technician Kammy Durham collecting water-quality samples from a well at Ellsworth Air Force Base for analysis.
Groundwater-Level Measurement at Ellsworth Air Force Base
Student hydrologist Todd Anderson assisting with water level measurements and purging of a well at a research location at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota. The groundwater level is measured and the well is purged prior to collecting water-quality samples from wells.
Groundwater-Level Measurement at Ellsworth Air Force Base
Student hydrologist Wyatt Tatge assisting with water level measurements and purging of a well at a research location at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota. The groundwater level is measured and the well is purged prior to collecting water-quality samples from wells.
Discharge Measurement on Moreau River near Faith (06359500)
Hydrologic technician Sarah Davis preparing for a discharge measurement of the Moreau River near Faith, SD (streamgage 06359500). Sarah is ensuring that the meter and weight enter into the river properly. During high flows, the USGS uses a tractor to assist in the discharge measurement where other technology like acoustics will not work due to the high sediment within the
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Discharge Measurement on Moreau River near Faith (06359500)
Hydrologic technicians Sarah Davis and Jackie Eldredge preparing for a discharge measurement of the Moreau River near Faith, SD (streamgage 06359500). During high flows, the USGS uses a tractor to assist in the discharge measurement where other technology like acoustics will not work due to the high sediment within the stream and where a heavy weight is needed to keep the
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June 2018 Flow on Elk Creek near Rapid City, SD (06425100)
USGS Hydrologic Technician Kammy Durham measuring discharge of Elk Creek near Rapid City, SD (streamgage 06407500), to capture peak flow after heavy rains during the week of June 18, 2018. The flow at this streamgage was 81 cubic feet per second on June 21, 2018. USGS staff collect streamflow information (discharge, river stage, and high water marks) on a regular basis and
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June 2018 Flow on Spring Creek near Keystone, SD (06407500)
USGS Hydrologic Technician Kammy Durham measuring discharge of Spring Creek near Keystone, SD (streamgage 06407500), to capture peak flow after heavy rains during the week of June 18, 2018. The flow at this streamgage was 69 cubic feet per second on June 21, 2018. USGS staff collect streamflow information (discharge, river stage, and high water marks) on a regular basis
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Canada Lynx
– Scientists at the USGS Massachusetts Cooperative Fish and
Wildlife Research Unit at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, in
collaboration with The Rockefeller University’s Vertebrate Genome Laboratory,
New York, are releasing to a public repository at the vertebrate lab, for use by
geneticists, conservationists and other researchers around the
Verification of High Water Mark on Whitewood Creek above Whitewood, SD
On June 20, 2018, hydrologic technician Kammy Durham verified the high water mark on Whitewood Creek above Whitewood, SD (streamgage 06436180) after the watershed received about 2 inches of rain the previous evening. Streams in the Black Hills of western South Dakota can rise and fall quickly in response to rain.
Newly released US Topo maps for Nebraska now feature trails provided to the USGS through a “crowdsourcing” project operated by the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA). Several of the 1,376 new US Topo quadrangles for the state now display trails along with other improved data layers such as map symbol redesign and new road source data.
Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced today that Interior’s Northwest Climate Science Center is awarding more than one million dollars to universities and other partners for research to guide managers of parks, refuges and other cultural and natural resources in planning how to help species and ecosystems adapt to climate change.
Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced today that Interior’s North Central Climate Science Center in Fort Collins, Colorado, is awarding nearly $400,000 to universities and other partners.
The U.S. Geological Survey has released a new report detailing changes of groundwater levels in the High Plains Aquifer. The report presents water-level change data in the aquifer for two separate periods: from 1950 – the time prior to significant groundwater irrigation development – to 2013, and 2011 to 2013.
The persistence of an already rare aquatic insect, the western glacier stonefly, is being imperiled by the loss of glaciers and increased stream temperatures due to climate warming in mountain ecosystems, according to a new study released in Freshwater Science.
As part of the continued US Topo maps revision and improvement cycle, the USGS will be including mountain bike trails to upcoming quadrangles on a state-aligned basis.
Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey and the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality have published one of the first comprehensive assessments of selenium in eastern Idaho’s upper Blackfoot River.
Water use in Kansas is increasing, mostly due to dry periods and climate variability, according to a new U.S. Geological Survey fact sheet on public-supply water use from 1990 - 2012 in Kansas.
Energy development in the Williston Basin oil production area of Montana and North Dakota, which includes the Bakken and Three Forks Formations, has not affected shallow groundwater quality, according to a recently published study in the journalGroundwater.
Wichita’s water-use strategy has helped preserve the Equus Beds aquifer during the recent drought of 2011-12, according to a new report released by the U.S. Geological Survey and prepared in cooperation with the city of Wichita.
Citizens should not be alarmed if they see a low-flying helicopter towing a large wire-loop contraption hanging from a cable in the Poplar, Montana area during the next couple of weeks.
The American bullfrog has expanded its invasion of the Yellowstone River floodplain in Montana, according to a new study released in “Aquatic Invasions.”
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Locations
Dakota Water Science Center- Huron Programs Office
Phone: (605) 352-4241
Fax: (605) 352-4304
Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center
custserv@usgs.gov
Phone: 800-252-4547
Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center (NOROCK) Headquarters
Phone: 406-994-7544
Fax: 406-994-6556
Nebraska Water Science Center
Phone: (402) 328-4100
Fax: (402) 437-5139
Kansas Water Science Center
Phone: (785) 842-9909
Fax: (785) 832-3500
Dakota Water Science Center- Bismarck
Phone: (701) 250-7400
Fax: (701) 250-7429
Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Phone: 701-253-5500
Fax: 701-253 5553
Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center - Helena Office
Phone: (406) 457-5900
Fax: (406) 457-5990
Dakota Water Science Center- Grand Forks Field Office
Phone: (701) 775-7221
Fax: (701) 775-1114
Dakota Water Science Center- Rapid City
Phone: (605) 394-3200
Fax: (605) 355-4523
Dakota Water Science Center- Pierre Field Office
Phone: (605) 224-8440
Fax: (605) 224-8478
Organic Geochemistry Research Laboratory (OGRL)
Phone: (785) 832-3564
Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center - Billings Office
Phone: 406-656-1444
Wichita Field Office
Phone: (316) 773-3225
Hays Field Office
Phone: (785) 623-2848
North Platte Field Office
Phone: (308) 532-5323
Fax: (308) 532-5603
Yankton, South Dakota Field Research Station
Phone: 605-665-9217