Unified Interior Regions
Region 7: Upper Colorado Basin
Map of Region 7 Upper Colorado River 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.
Identifying Changes in Background Water-Quality Conditions, Arkansas River and Fountain Creek, near Pueblo, Colorado
Demands for water are projected to increase in the Lower Arkansas River Basin as the population continues to grow. Strategies to meet those demands include continued operation of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project water, enlargement of Pueblo and Turquoise Reservoirs, and various conservation measures; the overall strategy is defined in the Preferred Storage Options Plan (see the Southeastern...
Salinity Trends in Shallow Groundwater, Rincon and Mesilla Valley, New Mexico
Data from monitoring sites at Rincon Valley and Mesilla Valley.
Drilling Replacement Monitoring Wells near the San Juan Coal Mine, NW New Mexico
The San Juan Coal Mine, an underground mine located about 12 miles west-northwest of Farmington, NM, supplies coal to the adjacent San Juan Generating Station.
Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative: Rocky Mountain Region
The Rocky Mountain Region of Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI) encompasses Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico. Two USGS Science Centers initiate and develop ARMI projects in this region. Investigations at NOROCK are headed by Dr. Blake Hossack. Investigations at the Fort Collins Science Center (FORT), Colorado, are headed by Dr. Erin Muths. The ARMI program is based...
IGBST Grizzly Bear Food Synthesis Report
How to Cite: Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team. 2013. Response of Yellowstone grizzly bears to changes in food resources: a synthesis. Report to the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee and Yellowstone Ecosystem Subcommittee. Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team, U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Bozeman, Montana, USA.
Yellowstone Lake Acoustic Biotelemetry Project Home Page
Fishery biologists and managers are increasingly consumed with the recovery and restoration of native trout and salmon throughout the western United States. These fish historically inhabited a variety of freshwater habitats, but have declined due to habitat degradation, fragmentation and introduction of nonnative species. Introduced fishes constitute a major threat to the persistence of native...
Developing stream temperature networks for the Greater Yellowstone to aid in managing aquatic resources under a changing climate
The topographic diversity and extensive area of protected public land within the Greater Yellowstone demonstrate the importance of this region as a natural resource reserve. Understanding the effects of anticipated changes in climate on aquatic resources and means for managing these resources will ultimately require accurate linkages between empirical data and regional climatic patterns. This...
Evaluating the linkages between regional climate patterns, local climate data, and native Yellowstone cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri) and non-native brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) growth, survival, and life-history expressions.
Beyond large-scale climate models, it is becoming increasingly important to quantify how regional climate patterns link with in situ stream temperatures and hydrologic regimes and concomitantly, fish behavior, growth, and survival. Here, we are using comprehensive mark-recapture techniques to evaluate how changing climatic conditions are likely to influence native westslope cutthroat trout and...
Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) Program
Welcome to the Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) information resource for the United States Geological Survey. Located at Gainesville, Florida, this site has been established as a central repository for spatially referenced biogeographic accounts of introduced aquatic species. The program provides scientific reports, online/realtime queries, spatial data sets, distribution maps, and general...
Ecology of Elk on Department of Interior Lands in Southwest Wyoming
Between 2005 and 2010, we radio- collared 61 female elk (Cervus elaphus) on Fossil Butte National Monument and 12 female elk near Cokeville, Wyoming, slightly northwest of the Monument, all from the West Green River herd. We are using the 209,250 locations from these elk to identify seasonal distribution patterns, evaluate habitat use, and assess factors influencing the timing of migration. ...
Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI)
The WLCI is a long-term science based effort to enhance aquatic and terrestrial habitats at a landscape scale in Southwest Wyoming, while facilitating responsible development.
Clear Creek Reservoir Bathymetry
To better characterize the water supply capacity of Clear Creek Reservoir, Chaffee County, Colorado, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Pueblo Board of Water Works and Colorado Mountain College, carried out a bathymetry survey of Clear Creek Reservoir. The equipment and methods used in this study allowed water-resource managers to maintain typical reservoir operations,...
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.
Previous mineral-resource assessment data compilation for the U.S. Geological Survey Sagebrush Mineral-Resource Assessment Project
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 Kiowa core, a continuous drill core through the Denver Basin bedrock aquifers at Kiowa, Elbert County, Colorado
The Kiowa core was obtained as a component of the Denver Basin Project, a cooperative research effort to study the evolution of the Denver Basin, Colorado. The Kiowa core provides a virtually continuous stratigraphic record of the Upper Cretaceous and lower Tertiary strata of the Denver Basin.
Land Treatment Digital Library (LTDL)
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.
Data Entry Module for the Land Treatment Digital Library (LTDL)
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).
2011 Groundhog Reservoir Bathymetric Contours
The U.S. Geological Survey performed a bathymetric survey of Groundhog Reservoir using a man-operated boat-mounted multibeam echo sounder integrated with a global positioning system (GPS) and a terrestrial real-time kinematic (RTK) GPS in June 2011.
2011 Totten Reservoir Bathymetric Contours
The U.S. Geological Survey performed a bathymetric survey of Totten Reservoir using a
man-operated boat-mounted multibeam echo sounder integrated with a global positioning
system (GPS) and a terrestrial real-time kinematic (RTK) GPS in June 2011.
Data to Accompany the Regional Potentiometric-Surface Map of the Great Basin Carbonate and Alluvial Aquifer System in Snake Valley and Surrounding Areas, Juab, Millard, and Beaver Counties, Utah and White Pine and Lincoln Counties, Nevada
Water-level measurements from 190 wells were used to develop a potentiometric-surface map of the east-central portion of the regional Great Basin carbonate and alluvial aquifer system in and around Snake Valley, eastern Nevada and western Utah. The map area covers approximately 9,000 square miles in Juab, Millard, and Beaver Counties, Utah, and White Pine and Lincoln Counties, Nevada.
Three-dimensional hydrogeologic framework for the Great Basin carbonate and alluvial aquifer system of Nevada, Utah, and parts of adjacent states
This dataset was created in support of a study focusing on groundwater resources in the Great Basin carbonate and alluvial aquifer system (GBCAAS). The GBCAAS is a complex aquifer system comprised of both unconsolidated and bedrock formations covering an area of approximately 110,000 square miles. The aquifer system is situated in the eastern portion of the Great Basin Province of the western...
1:1,000,000-scale estimated outer extent of areas of groundwater discharge as evapotranspiration for the Great Basin carbonate and alluvial aquifer system of Nevada, Utah, and parts of adjacent states
This dataset was created in support of a study focusing on groundwater resources in the Great Basin carbonate and alluvial aquifer system (GBCAAS). The GBCAAS is a complex aquifer system comprised of both unconsolidated and bedrock formations covering an area of approximately 110,000 square miles. The aquifer system is situated in the eastern portion of the Great Basin Province of the western...
1:1,000,000-scale hydrographic areas and flow systems for the Great Basin carbonate and alluvial aquifer system of Nevada, Utah, and parts of adjacent states
This dataset was created in support of a USGS study focusing on groundwater resources in the Great Basin carbonate and alluvial aquifer system (GBCAAS). The GBCAAS is a complex aquifer system comprised of both unconsolidated and bedrock formations covering an area of approximately 110,000 square miles. The aquifer system is situated in the eastern portion of the Great Basin Province.
1:1,000,000-scale potentiometric contours and control points for the Great Basin carbonate and alluvial aquifer system of Nevada, Utah, and parts of adjacent states
This dataset consists of potentiometric contours, control points used to guide the creation of the contours, and a grid of 2 square-mile cells used to average the water-level value of selected control points. Control points are based on water-level measurements at well and spring locations from the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS).
Oil Shale Data Downloads
This page accesses data for Oil Shale Assessments of PIceance, Uinta and Green River Basins. It also includes fischer assays and scans of well logs in the Colorado Piceance Basin.
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.
A high-resolution seismic catalog for the initial 2019 Ridgecrest Earthquake sequence: Foreshocks, aftershocks, and faulting complexity
I use template matching and precise relative relocation techniques to develop a high-resolution earthquake catalog for the initial portion of the 2019 Ridgecrest earthquake sequence, from July 4-16, encompassing the foreshock sequence and the first 10+ days of aftershocks following the Mw 7.1 mainshock. Using 13,525 routinely cataloged events as...
Shelly, David R.Estimating burn severity and carbon emissions from a megafire in boreal forests of China
Wildfires, especially those of large size, worsen air quality and alter the carbon cycle through combustion of large quantities of biomass and release of carbon into the atmosphere. The Black Dragon fire, which occurred in 1987 in the boreal forests of China is among the top five of such megafires ever recorded in the world. With over 30 years of...
Xu, Wenru; He, Hong S; Hawbaker, Todd; Zhu, Zhiliang; Henne, PaulEvaluation of ground‐motion models for U.S. Geological Survey seismic hazard forecasts: Hawaii tectonic earthquakes and volcanic eruptions
The selection and weighting of ground‐motion models (GMMs) introduces a significant source of uncertainty in U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Seismic Hazard Modeling Project (NSHMP) forecasts. In this study, we evaluate 18 candidate GMMs using instrumental ground‐motion observations of horizontal peak ground acceleration (PGA) and 5%‐damped...
McNamara, Daniel E.; Wolin, Emily; Powers, Peter M.; Shumway, Allison; Moschetti, Morgan P.; Rekoske, John; Thompson, Eric M.; Mueller, Charles; Petersen, Mark D.A domestic earthquake impact alert protocol based on the combined USGS PAGER and FEMA Hazus loss estimation systems
The U.S. Geological Survey’s PAGER alert system provides rapid (10-20 min) but general loss estimates of ranges of fatalities and economic impact for significant global earthquakes. FEMA’s Hazus software, in contrast, provides time consuming (2-5 hours) but more detailed loss information quantified in terms of structural, social, and economic...
Wald, David J.; Seligson, Hope A.; Rozelle, Jesse; Burns, Jordan; Marano, Kristin; Jaiswal, Kishor; Hearne, Mike; Bausch, DouglasHigh-resolution airborne geophysical survey of the Shellmound, Mississippi area
In late February to early March 2018, the U.S. Geological Survey acquired 2,364 line-kilometers (km) of airborne electromagnetic, magnetic, and radiometric data in the Shellmound, Mississippi study area. The purpose of this survey is to contribute high-resolution information about subsurface geologic structure to inform groundwater models, water...
Burton, Bethany L.; Minsley, Burke J.; Bloss, Benjamin R.; Kress, Wade H.; Rigby, James R.; Smith, Bruce D.Seepage investigation of the Rio Grande from below Leasburg Dam, Leasburg, New Mexico, to above El Paso, Texas, 2018
Seepage investigations were conducted periodically by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) from 1988 to 1998 and from 2006 to 2015 along a 64-mile reach of the Rio Grande as part of the Mesilla Basin monitoring program. Past studies were conducted during no-flow or low-flow periods. In 2018, a seepage investigation was conducted during April 3–4...
Ball, Grady P.; Robertson, Andrew J.; Morales, Karen MedinaA new stratigraphic framework and constraints for the position of the Paleocene-Eocene boundary in the rapidly subsiding Hanna Basin, Wyoming
The Paleocene–Eocene strata of the rapidly subsiding Hanna Basin give insights in sedimentation patterns and regional paleogeography during the Laramide orogeny and across the climatic event at the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). Abundant coalbeds and carbonaceous shales of the fluvial, paludal, and lacustrine strata of the Hanna...
Dechesne, Marieke; Currano, Ellen D; Dunn, Regan E; Higgins, Pennilyn; Hartman, Joseph; Chamberlain, Kevin R; Holm-Denoma, Christopher S.A 100-year geoelectric hazard analysis for the U.S. high-voltage power grid
A once-per-century geoelectric hazard map is created for the United States high-voltage power grid. A statistical extrapolation from 31 years of magnetic field measurements is made by identifying 84 geomagnetic storms with the Kp and Dst indices. Data from 24 geomagnetic observatories, 1079 magnetotelluric survey sites, and 17,258 transmission...
Lucas, Greg M.; Love, Jeffrey J.; Kelbert, Anna; Bedrosian, Paul A.; Rigler, E. JoshuaA new sampler for the collection and retrieval of dry dust deposition
Atmospheric dust can influence biogeochemical cycles, accelerate snowmelt, and affect air, water quality, and human health. Yet, the bulk of atmospherically transported material remains poorly quantified in terms of total mass fluxes and composition. This lack of information stems in part from the challenges associated with measuring dust...
Brahney, J.; Wetherbee, Gregory A.; Sexstone, Graham A.; Youngbull, C.; Strong, P.; Heindel, Ruth C.A continuously updated, geospatially rectified database of utility-scale wind turbines in the United States
Nearly 60,000 utility-scale wind turbines are installed in the United States as of July, 2019, representing over 97 gigawatts of electric power capacity; US wind turbine installations continue to grow at a rapid pace. Yet, until April 2018, no publicly-available, regularly updated data source existed to describe those turbines and their locations...
Rand, Joesph; Kramer, Louisa A.; Garrity, Christopher P.; Hoen, Ben; Diffendorfer, James E.; Hunt, Hannah; Spears, MichaelChallenges for leveraging citizen science to support statistically robust monitoring programs
Large samples and long time series are often needed for effective broad-scale monitoring of status and trends in wild populations. Obtaining those sample sizes can be more feasible when volunteers contribute to the dataset, but volunteer-selected sites are not always representative of a population. Previous work to account for biased site...
Weiser, Emily L.; Diffendorfer, James E.; Lopez-Hoffman, Laura; Semmens, Darius J.; Thogmartin, Wayne E.Spatiotemporal variability of modeled watershed scale surface-depression storage and runoff for the conterminous United States
This study uses the explores the viability of a proxy model calibration strategy through assessment of the spatiotemporal variability of surface-depression storage and runoff generated with the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Hydrologic Model (NHM) infrastructure for hydrologic response units (HRUs; n=109,951) across the conterminous United...
Driscoll, Jessica M.; Hay, Lauren; Vanderhoof, Melanie K.; Viger, Roland J.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.
Precipitation Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) Soil Zone Modules
Presents descriptions of the USGS Precipitation Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) Soilzone module.
Precipitation Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) Streamflow Modules
Presents descriptions of the USGS Precipitation Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) streamflow routing modules.
Precipitation Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) Cascading Flow Option
Presents descriptions of the USGS Precipitation Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) cascading-flow computation option, which allows for reinfiltration across the land surface, shallow subsurface, and saturated zone
Rio Grande, about 1 mile southwest of Montaño Bridge
Upstream view of the Rio Grande from a location about 1 mile southwest of the Montaño Bridge. Photograph was taken January 24, 2016, by Nathan Myers.
SIR 2016–5021
Rio Grande, about 1 mile southwest of Montaño Bridge, SIR 2016–5021
Upstream view of the Rio Grande from a location about 1 mile southwest of the Montaño Bridge. Photograph was taken January 24, 2016, by Nathan Myers.
La Sal Mountain Range
Snow-capped peaks of the La Sal Mountain Range as seen from the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands National Park. This is one area in the Southwest where biocrust plays an important role.
Grizzly bear caching an elk carcass in Grand Teton National Park
A grizzly bear has cached an elk carcass in Grand Teton National Park. Scientists used DNA from hair samples collected from barbed wire to estimate whether the availability of carcasses associated with an elk hunting season resulted in temporary immigration of grizzly bears.
The Southern High Plains
The Southern High Plains of New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. USGS conducted a uranium assessment in this region in 2015.
A mother grizzly bear and her cub in Yellowstone National Park.
A USGS grizzly bear researcher snapped this picture of a mother grizzly bear and her cub in Yellowstone National Park. Recent research shows that fffspring of grizzly bear mothers with a history of human-bear conflicts are more likely to be involved in human-bear conflicts than offspring of mothers without a history of human-bear conflicts.
Filtering water for eDNA sample collection.
Filtering water for eDNA sample collection in Yellowstone National Park between Lewis and Shoshone Lakes.
Flat Canyon Trench Excavation, Wasatch Fault Zone, Utah
A time-lapse video of the excavation of the trench for a paleoseismology research project at Flat Canyon, Utah, along the Wasatch fault zone.
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.
Products based on NASA Earth observations and a new Internet-based decision tool are providing information to help land and water managers combat tamarisk (saltcedar), an invasive plant species impacting precious water supplies in the western U.S.
Products based on NASA Earth observations and a new Internet-based decision tool are providing information to help land and water managers combat tamarisk (saltcedar), an invasive plant species impacting precious water supplies in the western U.S.
Ensuring stable water supplies has grown more complex as the challenges facing water managers continue to mount, especially in the West. Informed decisions of water users and public officials will be necessary to ensure sufficient freshwater resources in the future to support a growing population and economy.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Earthquake Center in Golden, Colo., today announced the implementation of a new 24/7 operation center and seismic event processing system, HYDRA. When combined, the round-the-clock on-site personnel and new technology are expected to cut in half the amount of time required to report information about earthquakes around the globe.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) will teach 300 students how to find their place in space by using geographic information systems (GIS) on Wednesday, Nov. 16 in celebration of GIS Day 2005.
Today, the USGS released The State of the Colorado River Ecosystem in Grand Canyon, a comprehensive report that details the impacts of the operation of Glen Canyon Dam and other management actions on downstream resources within Grand Canyon National Park.
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientist Michelle Walvoord will be honored as the 2005 Subaru Outstanding Woman in Science at the annual Geological Society of America (GSA) meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Oct. 15. Walvoord, who resides in Golden, is a Research Hydrologist at the USGS National Research Program in Lakewood.
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientist Michelle Walvoord will be honored as the 2005 Subaru Outstanding Woman in Science at the annual Geological Society of America (GSA) meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Oct. 15. Walvoord, who resides in Golden, is a Research Hydrologist at the USGS National Research Program in Lakewood.
The USGS announced today the start of the public-private competition that will determine current and future functions; and the number of personnel required by the National Geospatial Technical Operations Center (NGTOC) at the Denver Federal Center, an all government campus, located in Lakewood, Colo.
The USGS announced today (Sept. 15, 2005) that the National Geospatial Technical Operations Center (NGTOC) will be located in the city of Denver. The NGTOC will consolidate the functions and operations currently performed in four USGS mapping centers (Menlo Park, Calif.; Rolla, Mo.; Denver, Colo.; and Reston, Va.) and other distributed sites to one location.
The USGS announced today (Sept. 15, 2005) that the National Geospatial Technical Operations Center (NGTOC) will be located in the city of Denver. The NGTOC will consolidate the functions and operations currently performed in four USGS mapping centers (Menlo Park, Calif.; Rolla, Mo.; Denver, Colo.; and Reston, Va.) and other distributed sites to one location.
In its latest report on water use in the United States, the USGS looked at the nation's dependence on ground water. The report entitled Estimated Withdrawals from Principal Aquifers in the United States, 2000, provides details of ground-water withdrawals and use from principal aquifers in each state.
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.
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.