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)-Peter Griffiths
Associate Regional Director, Operations-Peter Griffiths
USGS Region 7: Upper Colorado Basin Offices and Science Centers
Regions L2 Landing Page Tabs
USGS 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.
URGWOM: Upper Rio Grande Water Operations Model
The Upper Rio Grande (URG) River Basin extends from the headwaters in Colorado to the USGS streamflow gage Rio Grande near Fort Quitman, Texas, and includes both native water and transmountain water from the Colorado River Basin. Because of surface-water allotment issues, input from various sources of water (native and transmountain), numerous reservoirs, and complex stream-aquifer relations,...
Rio Grande Compact and Pecos River Commission
Rio Grande Compact and Pecos River Commission
City of Santa Fe Groundwater Level Monitoring
In 1986, the USGS, in cooperation with the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer and the City of Santa Fe, drilled two well nests (Santa Fe nest 1 and Santa Fe nest 2) to monitor hydraulic head in the local aquifer systems. In 1987, three more well nests (Santa Fe nests 3, 4, and 5) were installed in the Buckman well field. In 1997, the City of Santa Fe partnered with the USGS to more...
Office of State Engineers (OSE) Deep Piezometers
In 1996, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer (OSE), began a drilling program to install specialized monitoring wells in the Middle Rio Grande Basin and the Espanola Basin.
Hydrologic Characterization of the Upper Hondo Basin, Lincoln County, New Mexico
The upper Rio Hondo Basin occupies a drainage area of 585 square miles in south-central New Mexico and comprises three general hydrogeologic terranes: the higher elevation “Mountain Block,” the “Central Basin” piedmont area, and the lower elevation “Hondo Slope.”
Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative: Rocky Mountain Region
Decline of amphibian populations worldwide has prompted an international effort to determine causes of decline in various locations and ecosytems. Some causes which have been suggested include habitat alteration, introduced species, disease, and environmental stressors such as ultraviolet radiation, agricultural chemicals in groundwater, and contaminants in atmospheric deposition. The ...
Lee Acres Landfill Superfund Site, Farmington, NM
Lee Acres Landfill is 40 acres of public land in San Juan County southeast of Farmington, New Mexico. On May 1, 1962 the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) leased land to San Juan County to operate a county landfill. The landfill consists of an undetermined number of solid waste trenches and unlined waste lagoons.
Seismology in the City
Release Date: May 1, 2015
How seismologists can use noise to see under the ground.
Discrete Water Quality Sampling in New Mexico
The New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA) is responsible for managing pesticide usage in New Mexico. The NMED contracted with the New Mexico USGS to assist in setting up a sampling plan to monitor pesticides in selected surface water sites throughout the state.
The Canadian River Municipal Water Authority (CRMWA) wishes to manage the salinity levels on the Canadian River as it...
Monitoring Network of the Groundwater Flow System and Stream-Aquifer Relations in the Mesilla Basin, Doña Ana County, New Mexico and El Paso County, Texas
The Mesilla Basin monitoring program was established in 1987 to document the hydrologic conditions of New Mexico’s southern-most, Rio Grande rift basin. The program’s data collection and reporting is conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with local, state, and federal agencies. Hydrologic data collected as part of the monitoring program provide valuable information to better...
Real-time Monitoring and Evaluation of Bridge Scour
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is tasked with maintaining roadways crossing over large streams and rivers where sediment transport and channel alignment changes can affect the structural stability of bridges. Streambed scour is the leading cause of bridge failure in the United States. The costs associated with restoring damaged structures are substantial, but are less than...
How Big and How Frequent Are Earthquakes on the Wasatch Fault?
Release Date: FEBRUARY 1, 2015
Paleoseismology along the Wasatch Fault in Utah is helping to estimate the shaking risk to nearby towns.
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.
Climatically driven displacement on the Eglington fault, Las Vegas, Nevada
The Eglington fault is one of several intrabasinal faults in the Las Vegas Valley, Nevada and is the only one recognized as a source for significant earthquakes. Its broad warp displaces late Pleistocene paleo-spring deposits of the Las Vegas Formation, which record hydrologic fluctuations that occurred in response to millennial and submillennial-...
Springer, Kathleen B.; Pigati, Jeffrey S.
Pyrrhotite distribution in the conterminous United States, 2020
In parts of Connecticut and Massachusetts, foundations of some homes are cracking and crumbling. Failing foundations can reduce the market value of a home and lifting a house to replace and repour a foundation is an expensive undertaking. In response, some homeowners are defaulting on their mortgages and abandoning their homes. The...
Mauk, Jeffrey L.; Crafford, Thomas C.; Horton, John D.; San Juan, Carma A.; Robinson,, Gilpin R. Characterization of feed coals and coal combustion byproducts from the Wyodak-Anderson coal zone, Powder River Basin, Wyoming
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) determined the physical and chemical properties of more than 260 feed coal and coal combustion byproducts from two coal-fired power plants. These plants utilized a low-sulfur (0.23-0.47 wt. % S) and low ash (4.9-6.3 wt. % ash) subbituminous coal from the Wyodak-Anderson coal zone in the Tongue River Member of the...
Brownfield, Michael E. Climate explorer: Improved access to local climate projections
The goal of the U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit’s (CRT) Climate Explorer (CE) is to provide information at appropriate spatial and temporal scales to help practitioners gain insights into the risks posed by climate change. Ultimately, these insights can lead to groups of local stakeholders taking action to build their resilience to a changing...
Lipschultz, Fredric ; Herring, David ; Ray, Andrea J. ; Alder, Jay R.; Dahlman, LuAnn ; DeGaetano, Arthur ; Fox, James F. ; Gardiner, Edward ; Herring, Jamie; Hicks, Jeff ; Melton, Forrest; Morefield, Philip E. ; Sweet, William Quantifying interregional flows of multiple ecosystem services – A case study for Germany
Despite a growing number of national-scale ecosystem service (ES) assessments, few studies consider the impacts of ES use and consumption beyond national or regional boundaries. Interregional ES flows – ecosystem services “imported” from and “exported” to other countries – are rarely analyzed and their importance for global sustainability is...
Kleeman, Janina; Schröter, Matthias; Bagstad, Kenneth J.; Kuhlicke, Christian; Kastner, Thomas; Fridman, Dor; Schulp, Catharina J. E.; Wolff, Sarah; Martinez-Lopez, Javier; Koellner, Thomas; Arnhold, Sebastian; Martin-Lopez, Berta; Marques, Alexandra; Lopez-Hoffman, Laura; Liu, Jianguo; Kissinger, Meidad; Guerra, Carlos; Bonn, Aletta
Geologic map of Petroglyph National Monument and vicinity, Bernalillo County, New Mexico
This geologic map depicts and briefly describes geologic units underlying Petroglyph National Monument and immediately adjacent areas in Bernalillo County, New Mexico. The Monument is underlain dominantly by Quaternary basalts of the Albuquerque Volcanoes volcanic field, a series of basin-filling volcanic flows and associated vents from a...
Thompson, Ren A.; Chan, Christine F.; Gilmer, Amy K.; Shroba, Ralph R.
Geochemical and mineralogical study of the Red Mountain porphyry copper-molybdenum deposit and vicinity, Santa Cruz County, Arizona
The Red Mountain porphyry copper-molybdenum deposit (Cu-Mo deposit or PCD) is located in the northern part of the Patagonia Mountains, Santa Cruz County, Arizona. Extensive core drilling has delineated a large, deep-seated, structurally intact mineral system that extends from the present surface to depths of more than 1,765 meters. This system is...
Chaffee, Maurice Earthquakes, ShakeCast
ShakeCast® – short for ShakeMap Broadcast – is a fully automated software system for delivering specific ShakeMap products to critical users and for triggering established post-earthquake response protocols. ShakeCast is a freely available, postearthquake situational awareness software application that automatically retrieves earthquake shaking...
Lin, Kuo-wan; Wald, David J.; Slosky, Daniel
Map depicting susceptibility to landslides triggered by intense rainfall, Puerto Rico
Landslides in Puerto Rico range from nuisances to deadly events. Centuries of agricultural and urban modification of the landscape have perturbed many already unstable hillsides on the tropical island. One of the main triggers of mass wasting on the island is the high-intensity rainfall that is associated with tropical atmospheric systems. Puerto...
Hughes, K. Stephen; Schulz, William Probabilistic categorical groundwater salinity mapping from airborne electromagnetic data adjacent to California’s Lost Hills and Belridge oil fields
Growing water stress has led to emerging interest in protecting fresh and brackish groundwater as a potential supplement to water supplies and raised questions about factors that could affect the future quality of fresh and brackish aquifers. Limited well infrastructure, particularly in regions where elevated salinity has led to limited historical...
Ball, Lyndsay B.; Davis, Tracy; Minsley, Burke J.; Gillespie, Janice M.; Landon, Matthew K. Dust deposited on snow cover in the San Juan Mountains, Colorado, 2011-2016: Compositional variability bearing on snow-melt effects
Light-absorbing particles in atmospheric dust deposited on snow cover (dust-on-snow, DOS) diminish albedo and accelerate the timing and rate of snow melt. Identification of these particles and their effects are relevant to snow-radiation modeling and thus water-resource management. Laboratory-measured reflectance of DOS samples from the San Juan...
Reynolds, Richard L.; Goldstein, Harland L.; Moskowitz, Bruce M.; Kokaly, Raymond; Munson, Seth M.; Solheid, Peat; Breit, George N.; Lawrence, Corey R.; Derry, Jeff Assessing population-level consequences of anthropogenic stressors for terrestrial wildlife
Human activity influences wildlife. However, the ecological and conservation significances of these influences are difficult to predict and depend on their population‐level consequences. This difficulty arises partly because of information gaps, and partly because the data on stressors are usually collected in a count‐based manner (e.g., number of...
Katzner, Todd E.; Braham, Melissa A.; Conkling, Tara; Diffendorfer, James E.; Duerr, Adam E.; Loss, Scott R.; Nelson, David M.; Vander Zanden, Hannah B.; Yee, Julie L.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.
Sagebrush, grasses, and forbs in a shrub-steppe ecosystem
Determining aboveground biomass of sagebrush, grasses, and forbs is important for estimating fuel loads, measuring carbon storage, and assessing habitat quality in shrublands. Remote sensing may offer a more efficient alternative to common, labor intensive methods of measuring aboveground biomass that are difficult to apply across large areas. Researchers from the USGS are
...
Core from 2" well drilled into Wasatch Formation, Big Piney, WY
Core from 2" well drilled into Wasatch Formation, Big Piney, WY
USGS Gage 09358000
USGS stream Gage (USGS site ID 09358000) on Animas River upstream from Silverton and Cement Creek. Latitude 37.811131, Longitude -107.659213.
Animas River Downstream
Animas River downstream from Silverton Colorado, looking upstream toward town of Silverton. Confluence of Animas River and Mineral Creek near center of photograph. Confluence of Cement Creek and Animas River near upstream area of the town of Silverton. Photo taken from Highway 550 heading to Durango.
Animas River at A72
Animas River downstream from Silverton, Colorado showing cableway for USGS stream gage at site A72 (USGS site ID 09359020). Latitude 37.789964, Longitude -107.667394.
Animas River Sample
Animas River downstream from Silverton, Colorado, showing streambed sediment collected from right bank backwater area in scoop, and from left bank cobble area (in jar) near USGS stream gage at site A72 (USGS site ID 09359020). Latitude 37.789964, Longitude -107.667394.
Cement Creek Close Up
North Fork Cement Creek showing visual results of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) addition which increases the pH causing precipitation of ferric (orange) and ferrous (green) iron hydroxides. Latitude 37.89517, Longitude -107.64656.
Baker's Bridge Sediment Sample
Animas River samples at Baker's Bridge/Tall Timber Resort (USGS site ID 09359500). Closeup view showing location of streambed sediment sample collection from right side of left channel where river splits into two channels upstream from the Riverside Resort. Latitude 37.457297, Longitude -107.799803.
Measuring pH
Measuring pH at the outlet of the fourth settling pond downstream from the North Fork Cement Creek. Latitude 37.894451, Longitude -107.64763.
GKM culvert draining
View of flume installation to measure discharge/flow in the culvert that collects flow from the Gold King Mine. Latitude 37.894631, Longitude -107.638288.
Cement Creek near CC48
Cement Creek near the mouth at site CC48 (USGS site ID 09358550), location of stream gage whose data allowed calculation of the volume of water released during the Gold King Mine release. Latitude 37.8197222, Longitude -107.663056.
GKM Waste Pile
View of the waste pile below the Gold King Mine. Latitude 37.894429, Longitude -107.639135.
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.
America’s rivers and streams are generally suitable for irrigation, supplying drinking water, and home and recreational uses. However, in areas with significant agricultural and urban development, the quality of our nation’s water resources has been degraded by contaminants such as pesticides, nutrients, and gasoline-related compounds.
America’s rivers and streams are generally suitable for irrigation, supplying drinking water, and home and recreational uses. However, in areas with significant agricultural and urban development, the quality of our nation’s water resources has been degraded by contaminants such as pesticides, nutrients, and gasoline-related compounds.
Farmlands, wetlands, forests and deserts that composed the American landscape in the early 20th century have frequently been transformed during the past 30 years into mushrooming metropolitan areas as urbanization spreads across the country.
Farmlands, wetlands, forests and deserts that composed the American landscape in the early 20th century have frequently been transformed during the past 30 years into mushrooming metropolitan areas as urbanization spreads across the country.
A new report by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) describes changes that have taken place in the High Plains aquifer from the time that significant ground-water pumping began in the 1940’s to the year 2000.
A new report by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) describes changes that have taken place in the High Plains aquifer from the time that significant ground-water pumping began in the 1940’s to the year 2000. The results show a six percent decrease in the volume of water stored in the High Plains (or Ogallala) aquifer.
The Department of the Interior will hold a national workshop on Nov. 4, 2003 to develop science and technology recommendations for Interior’s Water 2025 initiative that can help Western communities develop practical solutions to chronic water shortages.
The Department of the Interior will hold a national workshop on Nov. 4, 2003 to develop science and technology recommendations for Interior’s Water 2025 initiative that can help Western communities develop practical solutions to chronic water shortages.
Included this month:
Hurricane Isabel Makes Her Mark on the North Carolina Coast
Mayans in the Everglades?
Submerged Ice Bridge Reveals Ancient Secrets About Alaska
America’s Deepest Coral Reef
Young Tortises on Mojave’s Menu
Measuring Floods From A Distance
Is the World’s Fuel Tank on Empty?
Wesley Ward has been named Regional Executive for Geology for the Western Region of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The announcement of Ward’s new appointment was made by John D. Buffington, Western Regional Director, effective Aug. 11, 2003.
Streamflows in Utah are the lowest recorded in nearly 100 years, confirming what most Utahans have known for the past 4 years: the state is in a drought. According to a new U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) fact sheet on present and historical droughts in the state, however, the unusual aspect of this drought is not its length but its severity.
Streamflows in Utah are the lowest recorded in nearly 100 years, confirming what most Utahans have known for the past 4 years: the state is in a drought. According to a new U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) fact sheet on present and historical droughts in the state, however, the unusual aspect of this drought is not its length but its severity.
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
Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center
Phone: 303-236-5345
New Mexico Water Science Center
Phone: (505) 830-7900
Fax: (505) 830-7998
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
Social Media
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.