Unified Interior Regions
Region 7: Upper Colorado Basin
Map of Region 7: Upper Colorado Basin
Map Showing USGS/DOI Unified Region 7 and parts of adjoining Regions
Key USGS Region 7: Upper Colorado Basin Contacts
Regional Director (Acting)-Allison Shipp
USGS Region 7: Upper Colorado Basin Offices and Science Centers
Regions L2 Landing Page Tabs
The DOI Unified Region 7: Upper Colorado Basin includes Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico. The data, information, analyses, and tools developed by the USGS support land managers in making decisions on the landscape. USGS Science Centers in the Region conduct multi- and interdisciplinary research and monitoring related to natural resources, ecology, and natural hazards.
News
Ecologist recognized by Department of Interior for Exceptional Scientific Contributions
Research Ecologist Dr. Craig Allen was recently awarded the Department of Interior Distinguished Service Award for developing a deep understanding of forests, landscape ecology
Fossilized Footprints Reveal Human Habitation of North America Thousands of Years Earlier than Previously Thought
ALAMOGORDO – New scientific research conducted at White Sands National Park in New Mexico has uncovered the oldest known human footprints in North America. The discovery reveals evidence of human occupation in the Tularosa Basin beginning at least 23,000 years ago, thousands of years earlier than previously thought.
A Century of Watching the Colorado River
Right where the Colorado River flows into the mouth of the Grand Canyon, an inconspicuous 20-foot-high concrete tower rises from the riverbank.
Publications
Tungsten skarn potential of the Yukon-Tanana Upland, eastern Alaska, USA—A mineral resource assessment
Tungsten (W) is used in a variety of industrial and technological applications and has been identified as a critical mineral for the United States, India, the European Union, and other countries. These countries rely on W imports mostly from China, which leaves them vulnerable to supply disruption. Consequently, the U.S. government...
Case, George N.D.; Graham, Garth E.; Marsh, Erin E.; Taylor, Ryan; Green, Carlin J.; Brown II, Philip J.; Labay, Keith A. Lessons learned from development of natural capital accounts in the United States and European Union
The United States and European Union (EU) face common challenges in managing natural capital and balancing conservation and resource use with consumption of other forms of capital. This paper synthesizes findings from 11 individual application papers from a special issue of Ecosystem Services on natural capital accounting (NCA) and their...
Bagstad, Kenneth J.; Carter Ingram, Jane; Shapiro, Carl D.; La Notte, Alessandra; Maes, Joachim; Vallecillo, Sara; Casey, Clyde F.; Glynn, Pierre D.; Heris, Mehdi; Johnson, Justin A.; Lauer, Chris; Matuszak, John; Oleson, Kirsten L. L.; Posner, Stephen M.; Rhodes, Charles R.; Voigt, Brian A global ecological classification of coastal segment units to complement marine biodiversity observation network assessments
A new data layer provides Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS) labels for global coastal segments at 1 km or shorter resolution. These characteristics are summarized for six US Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON) sites and one MBON Pole to Pole of the Americas site in Argentina. The global coastlines CMECS...
Sayre, Roger; Butler, Kevin; Van Graafeiland, Keith; Breyer, Sean; Wright, Dawn; Frye, Charlie; Karagulle, Deniz; Martin, Madeline T.; Cress, Jill Janene; Allen, Tom; Allee, Rebecca; Parsons, Rost; Nyberg, Bjorn; Costello, Mark; Harris, Peter; Muller-Karger, FrankUSGS Science Centers in Region 7-Upper Colorado Basin conduct a large number of cooperative and collaborative projects with other agencies and partners. A sampling of those projects are shown below on this web page.
Research Chemistry
This project develops and maintains state-of-the-art analytical laboratories, expertise, and methods for a broad range of elemental and mineralogical analyses in support of the research priorities of the Mineral Resources Program, USGS, and DOI.
Great Salt Lake Elevations
Great Salt Lake Elevations
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has been collecting water-surface-elevation data from Great Salt Lake since 1875 and continuously since October 1902. The north part of the lake has been monitored since April 1966.
In July 2021, the southern portion of the Great Salt Lake reached a new historic low, with average daily water...
Great Salt Lake General Information, Facts, News, Publications and Partners
In July 2021, the southern portion of the Great Salt Lake reached a new historic low, with average daily water levels dropping about an inch below the previous record set in 1963, according to U.S. Geological Survey information collected at the SaltAir gage.
-Find all news releases associated with the Great Salt Lake...
Drought in the Colorado River Basin
The Colorado River Basin is currently experiencing its worst drought in recorded history. Drought impacts include worsening habitat conditions for several threatened and endangered species, wildland fire risks, reduced snowpack, changes in water availability and agricultural production; reduced recreation opportunities at National Parks, Wildlife Refuges, and Conservation areas; and impacts to...
Colorado River Basin: Building Advanced, Strategic, Innovative, Integrated System Science
The Colorado River Basin is currently experiencing its worst drought in recorded history. The period from 2000 through 2020 is the driest 21-year period in over 100 years and one of the driest periods in the 1,200-year paleo-record. Drought impacts include worsening conditions in the 9 ecoregions, including habitat for several threatened and endangered species, wildland fire risks, reduced...
Biology, Impacts and Control of Invasive Reptiles in the Pacific
Research on Guam has led to development and validation of numerous effective control tools, including the advancement of reptile control to support native species recovery.
USMIN Mineral Deposit Database
Our objective is to develop a national-scale, geospatial database that is the authoritative source of the most important mines, mineral deposits, and mineral districts of the United States.
Interdisciplinary Methods and Applications in Geophysics (IMAGe)
The project focuses on the development of novel geophysical techniques that improve our ability to understand Earth's subsurface, with broad relevance to the Mineral Resources Program and the USGS Science Strategy. Our goal is to develop and maintain state-of-the art geophysical capabilities that support the diverse science needs of USGS projects that aim to meet the challenges of the 21st...
Isotope and Chemical Methods for Mineral and Geoenvironmental Assessments and Support of USGS Science Strategy
This Project integrates several geochemical tools—stable isotope geochemistry, noble gas geochemistry, active gas geochemistry, single fluid inclusion chemistry, and fluid inclusion solute chemistry—in studies of the processes that form mineral deposits and the processes that disrupt them during mining or natural weathering. Research is directed toward fundamental scientific questions or, in...
National Geochemical Database
The National Geochemical Database project assembles, reformats, corrects, and archives historical data obtained from the geochemical analysis of millions of geologic samples collected for USGS studies. These data, representing hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of USGS research, are provided to USGS researchers; other Federal agencies; State Geological Surveys and Environmental Protection...
Spectroscopy and Hyperspectral Imaging of Critical Mineral Resources
Our project will characterize the primary critical minerals (minerals that contain critical elements in their base structure) that are not yet in the USGS Spectral Library. We propose to increase understanding of the spectral indicators of critical minerals using lab-based studies of hand specimens and drill core, hyperspectral field scanning, and hyperspectral images collected from aircraft...
Non-Traditional Stable Isotopes
Understanding the genesis of ore deposits and their behavior in the environment is a subject of great importance to the Nation. A relatively new tool to aid in these efforts to investigate the origin and environmental effects of ore deposits is the use of "heavy" metal stable isotopes. Our research objectives are to utilize various isotopic systems to advance our understanding of ore genesis...
USGS Science Centers in Region 7-Upper Colorado Basin collect a wide variety of natural resource data types including spatial, geologic, hydrologic, and biologic data. Data included in USGS-series publications that are not publically available in USGS databases are published in Data Releases. Tools are USGS products that can be used to analyze those types of data.
Compilation of in situ and detrital zircon U-Pb ages for the Jurassic-Paleocene North American Cordillera (28-50 degrees north)
This document includes two suites of zircon U-Pb ages that help to characterize the magmatic and sedimentary history of the North American Cordillera between ~28 and 50 degrees north. The first dataset is a compilation of published zircon U-Pb ages of igneous rocks associated with the Mesozoic-Cenozoic North American Cordilleran arc. The compilation of igneous zircon data includes 1,492 U-Pb...
Preliminary detrital zircon data for Upper Cretaceous to Paleocene strata of the Crazy Mountains basin, Montana
This document includes sandstone provenance data for Upper Cretaceous to Paleocene strata preserved in the Crazy Mountains Basin of western Montana, USA. The dataset includes detrital zircon data for six samples from the Upper Cretaceous Hoppers Formation (1 sample), Upper Cretaceous Billman Creek Formation (1 sample), and Paleocene Fort Union Formation (4 samples). Detrital zircon data were...
Magnetotelluric sounding data in the Silverton Caldera complex, Colorado, 2019
This dataset includes magnetotelluric (MT) sounding data collected in July 2019 in the Silverton Caldera complex, Colorado, in the Southern Rocky Mountain Volcanic Field, by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Along with geologic mapping, airborne magnetics, airborne electromagnetics, and audiomagnetotellurics, the USGS collected MT data at 24 sites along five profiles.
Data release for Oxygen isotopes in terrestrial gastropod shells track Quaternary climate change in the American Southwest
Recent studies have shown the oxygen isotopic composition (delta18O) of modern terrestrial gastropod shells is determined largely by the delta18O of precipitation. This implies that fossil shells could be used to reconstruct the delta18O of paleo-precipitation as long as the hydrologic pathways of the local watershed and the shell isotope systematics are well understood.
Measured sections and paleocurrent data from fluvial deposits of the Upper Cretaceous-Paleogene Raton and Poison Canyon Formations, Raton Basin, Colorado-New Mexico, USA
This document provides two data sets that characterize outcrops of fluvial deposits of the Upper Cretaceous-Paleogene Raton and Poison Canyon Formations of the Raton Basin of Colorado-New Mexico, USA. First, the dataset includes stratigraphic sections measured through fluvial deposits of the Raton and Poison Canyon Formations (ten unique .tif files), currently exposed in roadside outcrops.
Digital Data from Mineral Investigation of Sangre de Cristo Wilderness Study Area, Alamosa, Custer, Fremont, Huerfano, and Saguache Counties, Colorado, USA
This Data Release provides tabular and geospatial data digitized by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) from a U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBoM) report titled Mineral Investigation of Sangre de Cristo Wilderness Study Area, Alamosa, Custer, Fremont, Huerfano, and Saguache Counties, Colorado.
Supporting data for Physical and chemical evidence for an aeolian component of paleowetland deposits
The Las Vegas Formation (LVF) is a well-characterized sequence of groundwater discharge (GWD) deposits exposed in and around the Las Vegas Valley in southern Nevada. Nearly monolithologic bedrock surrounds the valley and provides an excellent opportunity to test the hypothesis that GWD deposits include an aeolian component.
Data release for Climatically driven displacement on the Eglington fault, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
The Eglington fault is one of several intrabasinal faults in the Las Vegas Valley, Nevada, USA, and is the only one recognized as a source for significant earthquakes.
Petrology of the postcaldera intrusions associated with the Platoro caldera system, Southern Rocky Mountains Volcanic Field, Colorado
The dataset includes whole-rock geochemistry, phenocryst/mineral trace element compositions, zircon U–Pb geochronology, and zircon in situ Lu–Hf isotopes for intrusions associated with the Oligocene Platoro caldera complex of the San Juan volcanic locus in Colorado features numerous exposed plutons, both within the caldera and outside its margins, enabling investigation of the timing and...
Bayesian modeling of NURE airborne radiometric data for the conterminous United States: predictions and grids
This data release includes estimates of potassium (K), equivalent uranium (eU), and equivalent thorium (eTh) for the conterminous United States derived from the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) national airborne radiometric data compilation (Duval and others, 2005). Airborne gamma ray spectrometry (AGRS) measures the gamma-rays that are emitted from naturally occurr
Biomes simulated by BIOME4 using CESM2 lig127k, midHolocene, and piControl climate data on a global 0.5-degree grid
This data set consists of simulated biomes for the last interglacial (127 ka), middle Holocene (6 ka), and preindustrial (1850 CE) time periods displayed in Figure 14 of Otto-Bliesner et al. (2020). Biomes were simulated with BIOME4 (ver. 4.2, https://pmip2.lsce.ipsl.fr/synth/biome4.shtml; Kaplan et al., 2003,...
Influence of wildfire and beetle-caused canopy mortality on water temperature regimes in cutthroat trout streams, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO.
This dataset was collected to build on past and ongoing monitoring and research efforts within Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP). Specifically, the data were collected to test the hypothesis that reductions in canopy cover due to natural disturbances (i.e. wildfire and beetle kill) result in increases in water temperature, or the longitudinal thermal gradient of a
This Maps web page contains descriptions of and links to USGS topographic maps, the National Map, and other types of maps that are not official USGS publication series, including online interactive maps related to Region 7-Upper Colorado Basin. To access USGS publications series maps related to Region 7, please visit the Publications page of this web site.
TopoView shows the many and varied topographic maps of each of these areas through history. This can be particularly useful for historical purposes, such as finding the names of natural and cultural features that have changed over time.
This map shows the provinces assessed by the USGS for undiscovered oil and gas resources.
The USGS monitors current streamflow and water-quality conditions at various sites in the Animas and San Juan River Basins in Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah, including areas below the Gold King Mine release area. These streamgages provide continuous data on streamflow and select water-quality constituents including specific conductance, water temperature, pH, and turbidity.
The areal and vertical location of the major aquifers is fundamental to the determination of groundwater availability for the Nation. The map, which is derived from the Ground Water Atlas of the United States, indicates the areal extent of the uppermost principal aquifers on a national scale.
StreamStats version 4 is a Web application that provides access to an assortment of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analytical tools that are useful for water-resources planning and management, and for engineering and design purposes.
These geospatial data are provided to the public to aid in the understanding of the geologic resources of New Mexico.
The National Map is a collaborative effort among the USGS and other Federal, State, and local partners to improve and deliver topographic information for the Nation. It has many uses ranging from recreation to scientific analysis to emergency response. The National Map is easily accessible for display on the Web, as products and services, and as downloadable data.
Digital map of aquifer boundary for the High Plains aquifer in parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming - This digital data set represents the extent of the High Plains aquifer in the central United States
The map-based user interface can be used to delineate drainage areas, get basin characteristics and estimates of flow statistics, and more.
Funding partners: Colorado Department of Transportation and Colorado Water Conservation Board
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 location of the 188 streamgages used to develop the peak-streamflow equations, of which 44 streamgages have paleoflood or non-exceedance bound data.
An easy-to-use, Web-based geodatabase of historical flood and paleoflood information which includes links to sources of flood data. The interface makes this collection of information useful to water-resource managers to better understand the historic events for improved flood-frequency estimates of the largest floods in Colorado.
USGS Science Centers in Region 7-Upper Colorado Basin produce hundreds of USGS-series publications, journal papers, and books each year that are subject to rigorous review by USGS specialists. The publications shown below on this page are related to study areas and staff members of USGS Science Centers in Region 7 compiled from the USGS Publications Warehouse.
Tungsten skarn potential of the Yukon-Tanana Upland, eastern Alaska, USA—A mineral resource assessment
Tungsten (W) is used in a variety of industrial and technological applications and has been identified as a critical mineral for the United States, India, the European Union, and other countries. These countries rely on W imports mostly from China, which leaves them vulnerable to supply disruption. Consequently, the U.S. government...
Case, George N.D.; Graham, Garth E.; Marsh, Erin E.; Taylor, Ryan; Green, Carlin J.; Brown II, Philip J.; Labay, Keith A. Lessons learned from development of natural capital accounts in the United States and European Union
The United States and European Union (EU) face common challenges in managing natural capital and balancing conservation and resource use with consumption of other forms of capital. This paper synthesizes findings from 11 individual application papers from a special issue of Ecosystem Services on natural capital accounting (NCA) and their...
Bagstad, Kenneth J.; Carter Ingram, Jane; Shapiro, Carl D.; La Notte, Alessandra; Maes, Joachim; Vallecillo, Sara; Casey, Clyde F.; Glynn, Pierre D.; Heris, Mehdi; Johnson, Justin A.; Lauer, Chris; Matuszak, John; Oleson, Kirsten L. L.; Posner, Stephen M.; Rhodes, Charles R.; Voigt, Brian A global ecological classification of coastal segment units to complement marine biodiversity observation network assessments
A new data layer provides Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS) labels for global coastal segments at 1 km or shorter resolution. These characteristics are summarized for six US Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON) sites and one MBON Pole to Pole of the Americas site in Argentina. The global coastlines CMECS...
Sayre, Roger; Butler, Kevin; Van Graafeiland, Keith; Breyer, Sean; Wright, Dawn; Frye, Charlie; Karagulle, Deniz; Martin, Madeline T.; Cress, Jill Janene; Allen, Tom; Allee, Rebecca; Parsons, Rost; Nyberg, Bjorn; Costello, Mark; Harris, Peter; Muller-Karger, Frank
Utilizing multiple hydrogeologic and anthropogenic indicators to understand zones of groundwater contribution to water-supply wells near Kirtland Air Force Base Bulk Fuels Facility in southeast Albuquerque, New Mexico
In 1999, a jet-fuels release was discovered at the Bulk Fuels Facility on Kirtland Air Force Base, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Contaminants had reached the water table and migrated north-northeast toward water-supply wells. Monitoring wells were installed downgradient from the facility to determine the primary zones of groundwater production for...
Travis, Rebecca E.; Bell, Meghan T.; Linhoff, Benjamin S.; Beisner, Kimberly R. Compositional evolution of organic matter in Boquillas Shale across a thermal gradient at the single particle level
The molecular composition of petroliferous organic matter and its compositional evolution throughout thermal maturation provides insight for understanding petroleum generation. This information is critical for understanding hydrocarbon resources in unconventional reservoirs, as source rock organic matter is highly dispersed, in contact...
Birdwell, Justin E.; Jubb, Aaron M.; Hackley, Paul C.; Hatcherian, Javin J. Evidence for humans in North America during the Last Glacial Maximum
Archaeologists and researchers in allied fields have long sought to understand human colonization of North America. When, how, and from where did people migrate, and what were the consequences of their arrival for the established fauna and landscape are enduring questions. Here, we present evidence from excavated surfaces of in situ human...
Bennett, Matthew R.; Bustos, David; Pigati, Jeffrey S.; Springer, Kathleen B.; Urban, Thomas. M.; Holliday, Vance T.; Reynolds, Sally C.; Budka, Marcin; Honke, Jeffrey S.; Hudson, Adam M.; Fenerty, Brendan; Connelly, Clare; Martinez, Patrick J.; Santucci, Vincent L.; Odess, Daniel Alpine glacier reveals ecosystem impacts of Europe's prosperity and peril over the last millennium
Information about past ecosystem dynamics and human activities is stored in the ice of Colle Gnifetti glacier in the Swiss Alps. Adverse climatic intervals incurred crop failures and famines and triggered reestablishment of forest vegetation but also societal resilience through innovation. Historical documents and lake sediments record these...
Brugger, Sandra O.; Schwikowski, Margit; Gobet, Erika; Schworer, Christoph; Rohr, Christian; Sigl, Michael; Henne, Stephan; Pfister, Christian; Jenk, Theo M.; Henne, Paul D.; Tinner, Willy A stable isotope record of late Quaternary hydrologic change in the northwestern Brooks Range, Alaska (eastern Beringia)
A submillennial-resolution record of lake water oxygen isotope composition (δ18O) from chironomid head capsules is presented from Burial Lake, northwest Alaska. The record spans the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM; ~20–16k cal a bp) to the present and shows a series of large lake δ18O shifts (~5‰). Relatively low δ18O values occurred during a...
King, Amanda L.; Anderson, Lesleigh; Abbott, Mark B.; Edwards, Mary; Finkenbinder, Matthew S.; Finney, Bruce P.; Wooller, Matthew
Geochemical and mineralogical properties of Boquillas Shale geochemical reference material ShBOQ-1
The ShBOQ-1 geochemical reference material is relevant to studies of the organic geochemistry and mineralogy of petroleum source rocks containing high concentrations of carbonate minerals and organic sulfur-rich, oil-prone marine organic matter. ShBOQ-1 is geochemically and mineralogically similar to the lower part of the Upper Cretaceous Eagle...
Birdwell, Justin E.; Wilson, Stephen A.
Estimates of public-supply, domestic, and irrigation water withdrawal, use, and trends in the Upper Rio Grande Basin, 1985 to 2015
The Rio Grande flows approximately 670 miles from its headwaters in the San Juan Mountains of south-central Colorado to Fort Quitman, Texas, draining the Upper Rio Grande Basin (URGB) study area of 32,000 square miles that includes parts of Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. Parts of the basin extend into the United Mexican States (hereafter “Mexico...
Ivahnenko, Tamara I.; Flickinger, Allison K.; Galanter, Amy E.; Douglas-Mankin, Kyle R.; Pedraza, Diana E.; Senay, Gabriel B.
Estimating invertebrate response to changes in total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and specific conductance at sites where invertebrate data are unavailable
The purpose of this report is to describe a possible approach to estimate changes in invertebrate taxa richness at sites with known water-quality trends but no invertebrate data. In this study, data from 1,322 sites were used to describe invertebrate response to changes in total nitrogen, total phosphorus, or specific conductance, and to estimate...
Zuellig, Robert E.; Carlisle, Daren M.
Analysis of Escherichia coli, total recoverable iron, and dissolved selenium concentrations, loading, and identifying data gaps for selected 303(d) listed streams, Grand Valley, western Colorado, 1980–2018
Tributaries to the Colorado River in the Grand Valley in western Colorado (segment COLCLC13b) have been placed on the State of Colorado 303(d) list as impaired for Escherichia coli (E. coli), total recoverable iron, and dissolved selenium. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Water Quality Control Division is required to...
Miller, Lisa D.; Gidley, Rachel G.; Day, Natalie K.; Thomas, Judith C.This web page has descriptions of and links to computer programs that may be downloaded online. To view USGS-series publications related to software, please visit the publications page of this website.
Various projects on the USGS's public GitHub.
The software and related documentation on these Web pages were developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for use by the USGS in fulfilling its mission. The software can be used, copied, modified, and distributed without any fee or cost.
The is a useful tool designed to facilitate FGDC metadata creation for spatial and non-spatial data sets. It is a cross-platform desktop application built using an open-source Python architecture.
The transit-loss accounting program, which has been in continuous daily use in some form since April 1989, has provided water-rights administrators with a tool to effectively manage RRFs and administer water diversion priorities along Fountain Creek on a daily basis.
Smart River GIS allows simultaneous views of river hydraulics, species-specific habitat, and fish population simulations, for a better understanding of complex ecological interactions. We used existing data sets from the South Platte River in Colorado to develop a multi-layered geographic information system (GIS) that resource managers can use to improve their understanding of river ecosystems.
CloseTest is a Windows program for testing capture-recapture data
Photos and videos described and linked on this webpage come from a wide variety of USGS science activities and presentations performed by USGS Science Center staff members in the Region 7-Upper Colorado Basin.
Earth Observation User Case Study: Power of the Pixel - 1972 to 2021
Social scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Fort Collins Science Center – in collaboration with the USGS National Land Imaging Program – conduct Earth observation user case studies using qualitative research methods. Using standard scientific methods, they are better able to understand the variety of Earth observation users, including how they use and value
Earth Observation User Case: Speaking a New Language of Landsat
Social scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Fort Collins Science Center – in collaboration with the USGS National Land Imaging Program – conduct Earth observation user case studies using qualitative research methods. Using standard scientific methods, they are better able to understand the variety of Earth observation users, including how they use and value
Pack Creek at Pack Creek Road Bridge river gage
Photo looking downstream from the Pack Creek Road Bridge shows the rain gage on top with a USGS sticker. Below is a solar panel for power. The other white round object contains the data logger and satellite antenna. The station is wired to a
...
B-Roll of Lees Ferry
A collection of video for use in products related to the USGS's streamgage at Lees Ferry. The USGS installed the Lees Ferry gauge 100 years ago, and the data collected since have become critical to monitoring water availability in the West.
Shot List:
- 0:00 Title slide
- 0:25 Lees Ferry streamgage wide shot and pan
- 0:33 Lees Ferry
Scientist holding brown treesnake
A USGS scientist holds an invasive brown treesnake.
Austin Chalk Core
Bedding features in the core from the USGS Gulf Coast #4 Bonham borehole, in the Eagle Ford Group mudstones from a depth of about 401 feet, Fannin County, Texas. The Eagle Ford Group lies underneath the Austin Chalk and serves as the source rock for much of the Austin Chalk's petroleum.
USGS Technicians Prepare to Take a Core of the Austin Chalk in Texas
USGS technicians at the USGS Gulf Coast #4 Bonham borehole in preparation for geophysical logging of the Austin Chalk Group and the Eagle Ford Group mudstones, Fannin County, Texas.
Dragonfly Mercury Project specimen collection in Glacier NP
Researchers instruct volunteers on how to collect dragonfly larvae in Glacier NP as a part of the Dragonfly Mercury Project.
Yellowstone Volcano Observatory Monthly Update: January 2, 2020
Mike Poland, Scientist-in-Charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, gives an overview of activity at Yellowstone during 2019, with an emphasis on the month of December.
Sampling Suspended-sediment Concentration
Tyson Hatch and Fletcher Brinkerhoff sampling suspended-sediment concentration upstream of the Buckman Diversion for the city of Santa Fe on the Rio Grande (08313150 Rio Grande above Buckman Diversion, near White Rock, NM)
Map showing ice cover in the Yellowstone region
Map showing ice cover in the Yellowstone region. Light shaded areas bounded by black and red lines indicate areas covered during the Pinedale (about 20,000-15,000 years ago) and Bull Lake (about 150,000 years ago) glaciations, respectively. Blue lines are contours in thousands of feet on the maximum reconstructed Pinedale glacier surface. The circled numbers schematically
...
Collaborating on Climate Adaptation
RAMPS expands drought adaptation project with national parks in the 4-Corners area. National parks across the desert Southwest are experiencing ecological impacts due to climate change. Since late 2018, USGS RAMPS scientists have been working with Southeast Utah Group of national parks to better understand climate change impacts and build a suite of science-driven
...News items shown on this page are highlights of selected studies conducted and publications produced by USGS Science Center staff members in Region 7-Upper Colorado Basin.
Research Ecologist Dr. Craig Allen was recently awarded the Department of Interior Distinguished Service Award for developing a deep understanding of forests, landscape ecology
ALAMOGORDO – New scientific research conducted at White Sands National Park in New Mexico has uncovered the oldest known human footprints in North America. The discovery reveals evidence of human occupation in the Tularosa Basin beginning at least 23,000 years ago, thousands of years earlier than previously thought.
Right where the Colorado River flows into the mouth of the Grand Canyon, an inconspicuous 20-foot-high concrete tower rises from the riverbank.
Landsat 9 is a partnership between NASA and USGS. The satellite will continue the Landsat program’s mission to capture repeat snapshots of Earth to monitor, understand and manage natural resources.
A new rapid deployment U.S. Geological Survey flood warning gage has been installed in Pack Creek, 9 miles southeast of Moab, Utah, below the June 2021 wildfire burn area.
Editor: In the public interest and in accordance with Federal Aviation Administration regulations, the U.S. Geological Survey is announcing this low-level airborne project. Your assistance informing the local communities is appreciated.
USGS scientists take on the task of surveying native bee populations to understand what may put native bees at risk, and how to help them.
Newly published research indicates permafrost, or seasonally frozen, soils may be an overlooked source of greenhouse gases (GHG) prior to complete thaw, which could have implications for how thawing of this thick subsurface layer of soil will impact the global carbon budget and how future climate conditions are studied.
The southern portion of the Great Salt Lake is at a new historic low, with average daily water levels dropping about an inch below the previous record set in 1963, according to U.S. Geological Survey information collected at the SaltAir gauge location.
Geoelectric hazards generated by a nuclear explosion at the outer edge of Earth’s atmosphere can be strongly affected by the electrical conductivity of rock structures beneath the Earth's surface, according to a study led by the U.S. Geological Survey.
The southern portion of the Great Salt Lake is just a couple inches above the historic low measurement taken in 1963, according to U.S. Geological Survey streamgage information collected at the SaltAir gauge location.
Temperature significantly increased and snowfall decreased in the iconic Greater Yellowstone Area since 1950 because of climate change, and these trends will likely continue through the rest of the century, according to a climate report published today.
This page includes links to Social Media accounts (top of page), Science Centers (middle of page), and Regional Office staff members (bottom of page) of the USGS Region 7--Upper Colorado Basin.
Contacts
Locations
Region 7 - Upper Colorado Basin
rgonzales-schreiner@usgs.gov
Phone: 703-648-7200
NSF Ice Core Facility
Phone: 303-202-4830
New Mexico Water Science Center
Phone: (505) 830-7900
Fax: (505) 830-7998
Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center
Phone: 303-236-5345
Utah Water Science Center
angeroth@usgs.gov
Phone: (801) 908-5000
Fax: (801) 908-5001
Colorado Water Science Center - Main Office
gs-w-codist_webmaster@usgs.gov
Phone: 303-236-6900
Fax: 303-236-4912
Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center - Cheyenne Office
Phone: (307) 778-2931
Fax: (307) 778-2764
National Geospatial Technical Operations Center - Denver, CO
Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center
Phone: 303-236-1800
Fax: 303-236-3200
Geologic Hazards Science Center
Phone: 303-273-8500
North Central Climate Adaptation Science Center
Fort Collins Science Center
Phone: 970-226-9100
Fax: 970-226-9230
Colorado Water Science Center - Southeast Colorado Office: Pueblo, CO
gs-w-codist_webmaster@usgs.gov
Phone: 719-562-2840
Fax: 719-544-2463
Colorado Water Science Center - Western Colorado Office: Grand Junction
gs-w-codist_webmaster@usgs.gov
Phone: 970-628-7150
Fax: 970-245-1026
National Earthquake Information Center
Phone: 303-273-8500
Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO)
yvowebteam@usgs.gov
Phone: 360-993-8906
Spectroscopy Lab
Molecular Ecology Lab (MEL)
Phone: 970-226-9100
Fax: 970-226-9230
Denver Microbeam Laboratory
Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory
Moab Field Office
wilkowsk@usgs.gov
Phone: 435-259-4430
Fax: 435-259-5420
Salt Lake Field Office
sjgerner@usgs.gov
Phone: 801-908-5000
Fax: 801-908-5001
Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center - Casper Office
Phone: 307-261-5485
Fax: 307-261-5487
Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center - Riverton Office
Phone: 307-856-3771
Fax: 307-857-3165
Roswell Field Office
Phone: 575-627-0324
Fax: 575-646-7949
Southwest Biological Science Center - Moab, UT, Research Station
Phone: 435-259-3121
USGS Everglades Research Offices
Phone: 305-242-7834
Colorado Water Science Center - Durango Field Office
gs-w-codist_webmaster@usgs.gov
Phone: 970-247-4222
Fax: 970-247-4296
Jackson, Wyoming Field Research Station
Phone: 307-733-2314
Las Cruces Field Office
Phone: (575) 646-8129
Fax: (575) 646-7949
Cedar City Field Office
baslaugh@usgs.gov
Phone: 435-586-4543
Fax: 435-586-4557
USGS Denver Library
den_lib@usgs.gov
Phone: 303-236-1000
Fax: 303-236-1013
The Core Research Center
CRC@USGS.GOV
Phone: 303-202-4851
Fax: 303-202-4856
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USGS Science Centers in Region 7-Upper Colorado Basin conduct a large number of cooperative, co-funded science and monitoring projects with many other Federal, Tribal, State, and local agencies. Please scroll below to see the agencies with which those Science Centers currently have cooperative agreements.