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
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.
Water Resource Assessment of the Rio San Jose Basin, West-Central New Mexico
Water resources in the Rio San Jose Basin are limited, and development for public supply, mining, agriculture, and commercial activities have the potential to affect the water availability and quality at a basin-wide scale. This study is designed to provide water-resource managers with better information to plan for potential effects of increased or shifting demands and changes of climatic...
Streamgaging: Silent Sentinels
Streamflow data are needed at many sites on a daily basis for forecasting flow extremes, making water-management decisions, assessing current water availability, managing water quality, and meeting legal requirements. These activities require streamflow information at a given location for a specified time. These needs generally are best satisfied by operating a station to produce a continuous...
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...
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.
Pulsed Mesozoic deformation in the Cordilleran hinterland and evolution of the Nevadaplano: Insights from the Pequop Mountains, NE Nevada
Mesozoic crustal shortening in the North American Cordillera’s hinterland was related to the construction of the Nevadaplano orogenic plateau. Petrologic and geochemical proxies in Cordilleran core complexes suggest substantial Late Cretaceous crustal thickening during plateau construction. In eastern Nevada, geobarometry from the Snake Range and...
Zuza, Andrew V; Thorman, Charles H.; Henry, Christopher D.; Levy, Drew A.; Dee, Seth; Long, Sean P.; Sandberg, Charles; Soignard, Emmanuel Recording the aurora borealis (northern lights) at seismometers across Alaska
We examine three continuously recording data sets related to the aurora: all‐sky camera images, three‐component magnetometer data, and vertical‐component, broadband seismic data as part of the EarthScope project (2014 to present). Across Alaska there are six all‐sky cameras, 13 magnetometers, and >200">>200>200 ...
Tape, C.; Ringler, Adam T.; Hampton, D.L.
Assessment of water and proppant quantities associated with petroleum production from the Eagle Ford Group, Gulf Coast, Texas, 2019
Building on a geology-based assessment of undiscovered, technically recoverable petroleum resources in the Eagle Ford Group in south Texas, the U.S. Geological Survey has estimated the required water and proppant demands and formation water production volumes associated with possible future development of these petroleum resources. The results of...
Gianoutsos, Nicholas J.; Haines, Seth S.; Varela, Brian A.; Whidden, Katherine J.; Birdwell, Justin E.; Burke, Lauri A.; Drake, Ronald M.; Finn, Thomas M.; French, Katherine L.; Jenni, Karen E.; Kinney, Scott A.; Le, Phuong A.; Leathers-Miller, Heidi M.; Marra, Kristen R.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Paxton, Stanley T.; Pitman, Janet K.; Schenk, Christopher J.; Shaffer, Brian N.; Shorten, Chilisa M.; Tennyson, Marilyn E.; Woodall, Cheryl A. Geological and thermal control of the hydrothermal system in northern Yellowstone Lake: Inferences from high resolution magnetic surveys
A multiscale magnetic survey of the northern basin of Yellowstone Lake was undertaken in 2016 as part of the Hydrothermal Dynamics of Yellowstone Lake Project (HD‐YLAKE)—a broad research effort to characterize the cause‐and‐effect relationships between geologic and environmental processes and hydrothermal activity on the lake floor. The magnetic...
Bouligand, Claire; Tivey, Maurice A.; Finn, Carol A.; Morgan, Lisa A; Shanks, W. C. Pat; Sohn, Robert A.
Comparison of storm runoff models for a small watershed in an urban metropolitan area, Albuquerque, New Mexico
In order to comply with a current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency watershed-based National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit, the City of Albuquerque required a better understanding of the rainfall-runoff processes in its small urban watersheds. That requirement prompted the initiation of the assessment of three existing watershed...
Shephard, Zachary M.; Douglas-Mankin, Kyle R. Global quieting of high-frequency seismic noise due to COVID-19 pandemic lockdown measures
Human activity causes vibrations that propagate into the ground as high-frequency seismic waves. Measures to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic caused widespread changes in human activity, leading to a months-long reduction in seismic noise of up to 50%. The 2020 seismic noise quiet period is the longest and most prominent global anthropogenic seismic...
Lecocq, Thomas; Hicks, Stephen; Van Noten, Koen; van Wijk, Kasper; Koelemeijer, Paula; De Plaen, Raphael S.M.; Massin, Frederick; Hillers, Gregor; Anthony, Robert E.; Apoloner, Maria-Theresia; Arroyo-Solorzano, Mario; Assink, Jelle D.; Buyukakpinar, Pinar; Cannata, Andrea; Cannavo, Flavio; Carrasco, Sebastian; Caudron, Corentin; Chaves, Esteban J.; Cornwell, David G.; Craig, David; den Ouden, Oliver F.C.; Diaz, Jordi; Donner, Stefanie; Evangelidis, Christos P.; Evers, Laslo; Fauville, Benoit; Fernandez, Gonzalo A.; Giannopoulos, Dimitrios; Gibbons, Steven J.; Girona, Tarsilo; Grecu, Bogdan; Grunberg, Marc; Hetenyi, Gyorgy; Horleston, Anna; Inza, Adolfo; Irving, Jessica C.E.; Jamalreyhani, Mohammadreza; Kafka, Alan; Koymans, Mathijs R.; Labedz, Celeste; Larose, Eric; Lindsey, Nathaniel J.; McKinnon, Mika; Megies, Tobias; Miller, Meghan S.; Minarik, William G.; Moresi, Louis; Marquez-Ramirez, Victor H.; Mollhoff, Martin; Nesbitt, Ian; Niyogi, Shankho; Ojeda, Javier; Oth, Adrien; Proud, Simon; Pulli, Jay; Retailleau, Lise; Rintamaki, Annukka E.; Satriano, Claudio; Savage, Martha K.; Shani-Kamiel, Shanhar; Sleeman, Reinoud; Sokos, Efthimios; Stammler, Klaus; Stott, Alexander E.; Subedi, Shiba; Sorensen, Mathilde B.; Taira, Taka'aki; Tapia, Mar; Turhan, Faith; van der Pluijm, Ben; Vanstone, Mark; Vernge, Jerome; Vuorinen, Tommi A.T.; Warren, Tristram; Wassermann, Joachim; Xiao, Han Linking land and sea through an ecological-economic model of coral reef recreation
Coastal zones are popular recreational areas that substantially contribute to social welfare. Managers can use information about specific environmental features that people value, and how these might change under different management scenarios, to spatially target actions to areas of high current or potential value. We explored how snorkelers’...
Oleson, Kirsten L. L.; Bagstad, Kenneth J.; Fezzi, Carlo; Barnes, Megan; Donovan, Mary; Falinski, Kim A.; Gorospe, Kelvin; Htun, Hla; Lecky, Joey; Villa, Ferdinando; Wong, Tamara Reconstructing the velocity and deformation of a rapid landslide using multiview video
Noncontact measurements of spatially varied ground surface deformation during landslide motion can provide important constraints on landslide mechanics. Here, we present and test a new method for extracting measurements of rapid landslide surface displacement and velocity (accelerations of approximately 1 m/s2) using sequences of stereo...
Rapstine, Thomas D; Rengers, Francis K.; Allstadt, Kate; Iverson, Richard M.; Smith, Joel B.; Obryk, Maciej; Logan, M.; Olsen, M. J. Bellwether sites for evaluating changes in landslide frequency and magnitude in cryospheric mountainous terrain: A call for systematic, long-term observations to decipher the impact of climate change
Permafrost and glaciers are being degraded by the warming effects of climate change. The impact that this degradation has on slope stability in mountainous terrain is the subject of ongoing research efforts. The relatively new availability of high-resolution (≤ 10 m) imagery with worldwide coverage and short (≤ 30 days) repeat...
Coe, Jeffrey A.
Discharge and dissolved-solids characteristics and trends of Snake River above Jackson Lake at Flagg Ranch, Wyoming, 1986–2018
The headwaters of the Snake River are in the mountains of northwestern Wyoming. Maintaining the recognized high quality of water in Grand Teton National Park is a National Park Service (NPS) priority. To characterize and understand the water resources of Grand Teton National Park, the NPS established a monitoring program to monitor the quality of...
Miller, Olivia L.; Eddy-Miller, Cheryl A.
Groundwater age and susceptibility of south Atlantic and Gulf Coast principal aquifers of the contiguous United States
Groundwater susceptibility to contamination was investigated by using environmental tracer-based groundwater age metrics in the south Atlantic and Gulf Coast principal aquifer systems of the Southeastern Coastal Plain, Mississippi embayment–Texas coastal uplands, and the Coastal Lowlands. Samples of dissolved gas, tritium, sulfur hexafluoride,...
Solder, John E. Conditions and timing of high-grade metamorphism and ductile deformation of the southern segment of the Central Anatolian Ophiolite
Ophiolitic fragments scattered over a wide area of Central Anatolia exhibit varying degrees of metamorphism, from unmetamorphosed to upper amphibolite facies, although geochemical similarities suggest they are all part of the Central Anatolian Ophiolite (CAO). Magmatic crystallization of oceanic crust in the CAO at ~ 91 Ma coincided with high...
Radwany, Molly S.; Morgan, Leah E.; Whitney, Donna 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.
Sediment Sampling at A72
Animas River downstream from Silverton, Colorado, showing right and left bank areas where streambed sediment sample was collected near USGS stream gage at site A72 (USGS site ID 09359020). Latitude 37.789964, Longitude -107.667394.
USGS scientist records vegetation data on decommissioned well pad
USGS soil scientist Travis Nauman records vegetation data on decommissioned well pad.
USGS scientist records vegetation data on decommissioned well pad
USGS soil scientist Travis Nauman records vegetation data on decommissioned well pad.
USGS scientist collects data on decommissioned well pad
USGS scientist Jessica Mikenas collects surface soil pH data on decommissioned well pad.
Examining biological soil crust near an abandoned well pad
USGS soil scientist Travis Nauman examines biological soil crust communities near an abandoned well pad during field work.
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.
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.
Another Great Earthquake in the Indian Ocean, but What About the Tsunami?
Steam Explosions, Earthquakes, and Volcanic Eruptions--What’s in Yellowstone’s Future?
Radio-Monitored Salmon Shed Light on Snake River for Water Managers
Itching to Know More About America’s Modern Gold Rush?
Hazards and Cooperation Spawn New Uses for Geospatial Information
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists are presenting science about our changing world at the 2005 Association of American Geographers conference, April 5-9, in Denver, Colo. Changes to the landscape of the Front Range of Colorado, changes to the way American cities look, and changes to the water, land use, and land cover of our Nation are topics USGS scientists will discuss.
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists are presenting science about our changing world at the 2005 Association of American Geographers conference, April 5-9, in Denver, Colo.
The Department of the Interior’s U.S. Geological Survey is collaborating with partner agencies to conduct scientific experiments designed to evaluate the effect of a high-flow release from Glen Canyon Dam on the natural resources of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park.
WASHINGTON — The Department of the Interior has proposed conducting a scientific study on the use of high flows from Glen Canyon Dam to improve Colorado River natural and cultural resources in Grand Canyon National Park.
Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) National Wildlife Health Center are concerned that avian cholera, which recently killed about 30,000 eared grebes—small, diving water birds—at Great Salt Lake, Utah, could spread as birds migrate south for the winter, the agency announced today.
Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) National Wildlife Health Center are concerned that avian cholera, which recently killed about 30,000 eared grebes—small, diving water birds—at Great Salt Lake, Utah, could spread as birds migrate south for the winter, the agency announced today.
Trace amounts of pesticides or volative organic compounds (VOCs) were detected in ground water sampled from public-supply wells in Salt Lake Valley if the age of the sampled water was less than about 50 years, according to a report recently released by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
A 5-year study by the U.S. Geological Survey on the occurrence and distribution of trace elements and synthetic organic compounds in sediment and fish from the Great Salt Lake Basin area of Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming found that trace elements were elevated in areas affected by historic mining, and organic compounds were highest at sites with urban and agricultural land use.
Water samples collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in areas surrounding the Great Salt Lake in parts of Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming generally meet existing guidelines for drinking water and the protection of aquatic life, although water quality in some specific areas have elevated concentrations of pesticides...
Trace amounts of pesticides or volative organic compounds (VOCs) were detected in ground water sampled from public-supply wells in Salt Lake Valley if the age of the sampled water was less than about 50 years, according to a report recently released by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
A 5-year study by the U.S. Geological Survey on the occurrence and distribution of trace elements and synthetic organic compounds in sediment and fish from the Great Salt Lake Basin area of Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming found that trace elements were elevated in areas affected by historic mining, and organic compounds were highest at sites with urban and agricultural land use.
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.