Unified Interior Regions
Sprague River Basin, Oregon
Region 9: Columbia-Pacific Northwest
Regions L2 Landing Page Tabs
Land use and tsunami hazards in the Pacific Northwest
Tsunamis have the potential to cause considerable damage to communities along the U.S. Pacific Northwest coastline. As coastal communities expand over time, the potential societal impact of tsunami inundation changes.
To understand how community exposure to tsunami hazards may change in coming decades, we projected future development (i.e. urban, residential, and rural), households, and...
Groundwater in the Upper Deschutes Basin, Oregon
Groundwater monitoring in the Deschutes Basin shows water-level declines are larger than might be expected from climate variations alone, raising questions regarding the influence of groundwater pumping, canal lining, and other human influences.
Henry Hagg Lake Water-Quality Model
Henry Hagg Lake is a reservoir located in the foothills of the eastern slope of the Coast Range Mountains of northwestern Oregon. The lake is used for recreation in the summer and flood control in the winter.
Water Quality in Keno Reach of the Klamath River
The Klamath River from Link River to Keno Dam experiences poor water-quality conditions on a seasonal basis, creating inhospitable conditions for fish and other aquatic organisms. These problems led the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality to prepare a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan to bring the river into compliance with water-quality standards. This study uses a hydrodynamic and...
Integrated Wildland Fire Science
The size and number of large wildland fires in the western United States have grown dramatically over the past decade, with a contingent rise in damages and suppression costs. This trend will likely continue with further growth of the wildland urban interface (WUI) into fire prone ecosystems, hazardous fuel conditions from decades of fire suppression, and a potentially increasing effect from...
Land Use and Climate Change Team
We are a research team focusing on understanding the rates, causes, and consequences of land change across a range of geographic and temporal scales. Our emphasis is on developing alternative future projections and quantifying the impact on environmental systems, in particular, the role of land-use change on ecosystem carbon dynamics.
We are interested in how land-use and climate...
Hydrogeologic and Geothermal Conditions of the Northwest Volcanic Aquifers
Although sparsely populated, this area in southeastern Oregon, northeastern California, northwestern Nevada, and southeastern Idaho has high geothermal heat flow that may be used to generate large amounts of electricity.
Columbia River Contaminants and Habitat Characterization Study
Fish, wildlife, and human populations along the lower Columbia River are exposed to an ever-growing variety of contaminants as a result of increasing urbanization, industrialization, and agricultural development.
USGS Data at Risk: Expanding Legacy Data Inventory and Preservation Strategies
As one of the largest and oldest science organizations in the world, USGS has produced more than a century of earth science data, much of which is currently unavailable to the greater scientific community due to inaccessible or obsolescent media, formats, and technology. Tapping this vast wealth of “dark data” requires 1) a complete inventory of legacy data and 2) methods and tools to...
Uranium in Groundwater
The Issue: Groundwater monitoring in northeastern Washington State has shown elevated levels of naturally occurring uranium in several community water systems and in private wells. A better understanding of the occurrence of uranium in groundwater along with outreach products that communicate the risk to area residents are important in order to reduce uranium exposure, protect...
Rocky Mountain Regional Snowpack Chemistry Monitoring Study
Snowpacks collect atmospheric deposition throughout the snowfall season and offer a unique opportunity to obtain a composite sample of the chemistry of most of the annual precipitation at high elevations [> 1,800 meters]. The purpose of the snowpack network is to determine annual concentrations and depositional amounts of selected nutrients and other constituents in snow resulting from...
National Parks North Coast and Cascades Network Critical Loads
Nutrients such as nitrogen are essential for plant and animal growth and nourishment, but overabundance can cause adverse effects. Excess amounts of nitrogen from the atmosphere can cause a lake to go through eutrophication, the process in which excess nitrogen triggers a series of events that cause a lake to become fatally low in dissolved oxygen. Alpine lakes are especially sensitive to...
Continuous and optimized 3-arcsecond elevation model for the United States west coast (32-bit GeoTiff, geographic, NAD83)
Investigations of coastal change and coastal resources often require continuous elevation profiles from the seafloor to coastal terrestrial landscapes. Differences in elevation data collection in the terrestrial and marine environments result in separate elevation products that may not share a vertical datum. This data release contains the assimilation of multiple elevation products into a...
Topography data from the Elwha River delta, Washington, September 2013
This part of the data release presents topography data from the Elwha River delta collected in September 2013. Topography data were collected on foot with global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receivers mounted on backpacks.
Topography data from the Elwha River delta, Washington, March 2013
This part of the data release presents topography data from the Elwha River delta collected in March 2013. Topography data were collected on foot with global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receivers mounted on backpacks.
Vessel-mounted acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) data from the mouth of the Columbia River, Oregon and Washington, 2013
Spatial surveys of water column currents were performed between June 14 and 16, 2013, in the mouth of the Columbia River, Oregon and Washington. These data were collected using an acoustic-doppler current profiler (ADCP).
Riparian vegetation abundance (percent cover) in the Elwha River estuary, Washington, in 2007 and 2014
This portion of the data release presents riparian plant species abundance (percent cover) data from plots sampled in the Elwha River estuary, Washington, in 2007 and 2014. In August 2007, we established 21 vegetation plots within the study area in a stratified random fashion, with three to five plots in five of the vegetation cover types denoted in the habitat classification maps:
Sagebrush Mineral Resource Assessment Data Sources
List of USGS information resources used in carrying out the Sagebrush Mineral Resource Assessment in 2016. Portal to an interactive map and OGC WMS service.
Locatable Mineral Assessment Tracts for the U.S. Geological Survey Sagebrush Mineral-Resource Assessment Project
The polygon (vector) feature class represents locatable mineral resource assessment tracts (tracts of land) associated with the Department of the Interior (DOI) Sagebrush Focal Areas (SFAs) in Montana, Wyoming and Utah, central Idaho, and the Oregon-Nevada-Idaho border area. The mineral-resources tracts are geographic areas that were assessed by the USGS and were determined
USMIN Mineral-Resource Data for the U.S. Geological Survey Sagebrush Mineral-Resource Assessment Project
The point and polygon layers within this geodatabase represent locations of mineral occurrences, mines, mining and mineral districts and sites of active mineral exploration within or near the Department of the Interior (DOI) Sagebrush Focal Areas in Montana, Wyoming and Utah, central Idaho, and the Oregon-Nevada-Idaho border area. The data were compiled by the U.S. Geological Survey
Prospect- and Mine-Related Features from U.S. Geological Survey 7.5- and 15-Minute Topographic Quadrangle Maps of the Western United States
These data are part of a larger USGS project to develop an updated geospatial database of mines, mineral deposits and mineral regions in the United States. Mine and prospect-related symbols, such as those used to represent prospect pits, mines, adits, dumps, tailings, etc., hereafter referred to as “mine” symbols or features, are currently being digitized on a st
Bureau of Land Management's Land and Mineral Legacy Rehost System (LR2000) mineral use cases for the Sagebrush Mineral-Resource Assessment, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming
In 2015, approximately 10 million acres of Federal lands across six western states were proposed for withdrawal from mineral entry by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in order to conserve habitat critical for the greater sage-grouse. As a result, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) launched the Sagebrush Mineral-Resource Assessment (SaMiRA) project in late-2015 to provide BLM wit
Water and Sediment Geochemistry Data from the Vicinity of Yellow Pine, Idaho, 2014-2015
Samples were collected at or near baseflow conditions. Water pH and specific conductance were measured in the field, with specific conductance also measured in the laboratory and calculated based on the ionic strength of samples based on laboratory analyses. Water samples were collected for laboratory analyses using a peristaltic pump with silicon tubing. Samples were filtered through a...
USGS Data Grapher
This is a data graphing utility that allows the user to build graphs of data from selected USGS stations. Select the station, the type of graph, the parameter(s) to plot, and the starting and ending dates for the graph.
D2 West Transect – 2017
Permanent Site: D2 West Transect; Depth: 12.3 Meters (40.3 Feet); Distance from river mouth: 0.3 Kilometers (0.2 Miles); Pre/Post Dam Removal: 6 years post-dam removal Lat/Long: 48.15233001,-123.56896603; Site Description: This site is right off the mouth of the river. In previous years the substrate has been mainly gravel with some cobble and about 10% sand but this year
Mapping squadron
Left to right: In July 2017 Tim Elfers (USGS), Hannah Drummond (WA State Dept. of Ecology), Heather Weiner (WA State Dept. of Ecology), Andrew Stevens (USGS), and Andy Ritchie (USGS) used handheld computers and backpack-mounted GPS equipment to record topography along a beach near the mouth of the Elwha River.
Return of the Yellowstone Grizzly Bear
Yellowstone grizzly bears inhabit federal, state, tribal, and private lands, and long-term research requires careful coordination across governmental levels. The Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team (IGBST) is an interdisciplinary group of scientists and biologists responsible for long-term monitoring and research efforts on grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone
Shoreline trap in Lookout Point Reservoir, OR
Shoreline traps in Lookout Point Reservoir, Oregon.
Juvenile Chinook salmon
Juvenile Chinook salmon on the Middle Fork Willamette River, Oregon.
Columbia River mouth bathymetry
Columbia River mouth bathymetry from USGS data release
Fires in the Western United States
On an average day during the fire season, multiple wildfires burn in the western United States. For example, 216 fires were active on July 7, 2017. Firefighters were battling 27 of these fires through ground and air support.
A few of the larger fires in early July were in Arizona, Washington, and Utah. As with many wildfires,
...
Red alder landscape
Looking out over a red alder forest with evergreen trees at Cascade Head Preserve in Oregon.
H1 East Transect – June 2017
Permanent Site: H1 East Transect; Depth: 5.4 Meters (17.6 Feet); Distance from river mouth: 2.4 Kilometers (1.5 Miles) east; Pre/Post Dam Removal: 6 years post-dam removal; Lat/Long: 48.1479177,-123.53472865; Site Description: This is a shallow site and one of the farthest removed from the effects of the sediment plume outside of the control sites. Substrate remains mainly
Bob The Beaver
Meet Bob.
Bob is a beaver.
Beavers and their dams are common sights along creeks in Oregon. Beaver activity can create diverse habitats and homes for many animals, including birds, fishes, and dragonflies. The USGS are studying beaver dams and ponds in Portland, Oregon, to understand how they affect the amount and quality of water in urban streams. Insights
H1 East Transect – May 2017
Permanent Site: H1 East Transect; Depth: 5.9 Meters (19.5 Feet); Distance from river mouth: 2.4 Kilometers (1.5 Miles) east; Pre/Post Dam Removal: 6 years post-dam removal; Lat/Long: 48.1479177,-123.53472865; Site Description: This is a shallow site and one of the farthest removed from the effects of the sediment plume outside of the control sites. Substrate remains mainly
A geologist remembers the Mount St. Helens eruption 37 years ago
Aerial view of the May 18, 1980, eruption of Mount St. Helens as seen from the southwest. Columns of ash and volcanic gas reached heights of more than 24 km (80,000 ft) during the eruption.
The U.S. Geological Survey has developed a computer model that will help water managers understand the groundwater resources in the Willamette Basin and assist them in meeting current and future water demands.
Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey will use a harmless fluorescent red dye to determine the complexity of the channel in the Elwha River as part of a larger effort to define conditions in the river since the removal of two dams.
In the early morning hours of September 23, 2004, a swarm of small-magnitude earthquakes about half a mile below Earth’s surface marked the reawakening of Mount St. Helens and led to an eruption on October 1, following 18 years of eruptive quiescence since the end of the 1980-86 eruption.
In the early morning hours of September 23, 2004, a swarm of small-magnitude earthquakes about half a mile below Earth’s surface marked the reawakening of Mount St. Helens after 18 years of eruptive quiescence.
In Oregon, congressional funding for the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Streamflow Information Program will substantially improve local, state and federal officials’ ability to forecast floods, allocate water and help the public plan for outdoor recreation.
Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey have developed a new mapping tool, the Pedestrian Evacuation Analyst, for use by researchers and emergency managers to estimate how long it would take for someone to travel on foot out of a tsunami-hazard zone.
Newly released US Topo maps for Oregon now feature segments of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail. Several of the 1,835 new US Topo quadrangles for the state now display parts of the Trail along with other improved data layers.
In Idaho, local, state and federal officials’ ability to forecast floods, allocate water and help the public plan for outdoor recreation will substantially improve.
Naturally occurring trace elements were detected at high concentrations in less than 3 percent of raw groundwater sources used for public water supply in the Klamath Mountain area, according to the ongoing U.S. Geological Survey study of California groundwater quality.
As part of the Planning Committee for the Fifth Annual Pacific Northwest Climate Science Conference, the Department of the Interior’s Northwest Climate Science Center is pleased to invite you to join more than 250 scientists and practitioners from the Northwest to learn the latest on Pacific Northwest climate science and adaptation.
Can better understanding fish diseases help to create much sought-after cures for human diseases such as Hepatitis C?
Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey installed water temperature sensors this week along Idaho’s Big Wood River and tributaries.
Contacts
Locations
Idaho Water Science Center
Phone: Phone: (208) 387-1300
Fax: (208) 387-1372
Washington Water Science Center
Phone: (253) 552-1600
Fax: (253) 552-1581
Western Fisheries Research Center (WFRC)
Phone: (206) 526-6282
Fax: (206) 526-6654
Oregon Water Science Center
info-or@usgs.gov
Phone: (503) 251-3200
Fax: (503) 251-3470
USGS Volcano Science Center
Phone: 360-993-8900
Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center (FRESC) Headquarters
fresc_outreach@usgs.gov
Phone: 541-750-1030
Fax: 541-750-1069
Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center
USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO)
vhpweb@usgs.gov
Phone: 360-993-8900
Fax: 360-993-8980
Columbia River Research Laboratory
Phone: (509) 538-2299
Fax: (509) 538-2843
Oregon Cooperative Fish And Wildlife Research Unit
Idaho Water Science Center - Idaho National Laboratory Project Office
Phone: 208-526-2438
Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center (FRESC) Snake River Field Station
fresc_outreach@usgs.gov
Phone: 208-426-5200
Fax: 208-426-5210
Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center (FRESC) Olympic Field Station
fresc_outreach@usgs.gov
Phone: 360-565-3041
Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center (FRESC) Cascadia Field Station
fresc_outreach@usgs.gov
Phone: 206-616-1874
Fax: 206-685-0790
Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center (FRESC) Corvallis Research Group
fresc_outreach@usgs.gov
Phone: 541-750-1030
Klamath Falls Field Station
Phone: (541) 273-8689
Fax: (541) 273-8692
Marrowstone Marine Field Station
Phone: (360) 385-1007
Fax: (360) 385-7207
Idaho Water Science Center - Boise Field Office
Phone: (208) 387-1300
Fax: (208) 387-1372
Idaho Water Science Center - Post Falls Field Office
Phone: 208-773-4938
Idaho Water Science Center - Groundwater Training Facility
Phone: 208-387-1392
Northwest Washington Field Office
Phone: (360) 312-8155 x2001
Fax: (360) 312-8565
Medford Field Office
Phone: 541-776-4256
Fax: 541-776-4257
Klamath Falls Field Office
Phone: 541-273-8689
Mid-Columbia Field Office
Phone: (509) 735-3739
Fax: (509) 735-3723
Upper Columbia Field Office
Phone: (509) 353-2649
Idaho Water Science Center - Idaho Falls Field Office
Phone: 208-529-4287