Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Publications

This list of Water Resources Mission Area publications includes both official USGS publications and journal articles authored by our scientists. A searchable database of all USGS publications can be accessed at the USGS Publications Warehouse.

Filter Total Items: 19116

Urban streams across the USA: Lessons learned from studies in 9 metropolitan areas Urban streams across the USA: Lessons learned from studies in 9 metropolitan areas

Studies of the effects of urbanization on stream ecosystems have usually focused on single metropolitan areas. Synthesis of the results of such studies have been useful in developing general conceptual models of the effects of urbanization, but the strength of such generalizations is enhanced by applying consistent study designs and methods to multiple metropolitan areas across large...
Authors
Larry R. Brown, Thomas F. Cuffney, James F. Coles, Faith A. Fitzpatrick, Gerard McMahon, Jeffrey Steuer, Amanda H. Bell, Jason T. May

Relation of urbanization to stream fish assemblages and species traits in nine metropolitan areas of the United States Relation of urbanization to stream fish assemblages and species traits in nine metropolitan areas of the United States

We examined associations of fish assemblages and fish traits with urbanization and selected environmental variables in nine major United States metropolitan areas. The strongest relations between fishes and urbanization occurred in the metropolitan areas of Atlanta, Georgia; Birmingham, Alabama; Boston, Massachusetts; and Portland, Oregon. In these areas, environmental variables with...
Authors
Larry R. Brown, M. Brian Gregory, Jason T. May

Mercury concentrations and loads in a large river system tributary to San Francisco Bay, California, USA Mercury concentrations and loads in a large river system tributary to San Francisco Bay, California, USA

In order to estimate total mercury (HgT) loads entering San Francisco Bay, USA, via the Sacramento-San Joaquin River system, unfiltered water samples were collected between January 2002 and January 2006 during high flow events and analyzed for HgT. Unfiltered HgT concentrations ranged from 3.2 to 75 ng/L and showed a strong correlation (r2 = 0.8, p < 0.001, n = 78) to suspended sediment
Authors
N. David, L.J. McKee, F.J. Black, A.R. Flegal, C.H. Conaway, D. H. Schoellhamer, N. K. Ganju

New evidence for a magmatic influence on the origin of Valles Marineris, Mars New evidence for a magmatic influence on the origin of Valles Marineris, Mars

In this paper, we show that the complex geological evolution of Valles Marineris, Mars, has been highly influenced by the manifestation of magmatism (e.g., possible plume activity). This is based on a diversity of evidence, reported here, for the central part, Melas Chasma, and nearby regions, including uplift, loss of huge volumes of material, flexure, volcanism, and possible...
Authors
J. M. Dohm, J.-P. Williams, R. C. Anderson, J. Ruiz, P.C. McGuire, G. Komatsu, A.F. Davila, J.C. Ferris, D. Schulze-Makuch, V.R. Baker, W. V. Boynton, A.G. Fairen, T.M. Hare, H. Miyamoto, K. L. Tanaka, S.J. Wheelock

Hydrologic and biogeochemical controls of river subsurface solutes under agriculturally enhanced ground water flow Hydrologic and biogeochemical controls of river subsurface solutes under agriculturally enhanced ground water flow

The relative influences of hydrologic processes and biogeochemistry on the transport and retention of minor solutes were compared in the riverbed of the lower Merced River (California, USA). The subsurface of this reach receives ground water discharge and surface water infiltration due to an altered hydraulic setting resulting from agricultural irrigation. Filtered ground water samples...
Authors
R.A. Wildman, Joseph L. Domagalski, J. G. Hering

Comparison of alternative representations of hydraulic-conductivity anisotropy in folded fractured-sedimentary rock: Modeling groundwater flow in the Shenandoah Valley (USA) Comparison of alternative representations of hydraulic-conductivity anisotropy in folded fractured-sedimentary rock: Modeling groundwater flow in the Shenandoah Valley (USA)

A numerical representation that explicitly represents the generalized three-dimensional anisotropy of folded fractured-sedimentary rocks in a groundwater model best reproduces the salient features of the flow system in the Shenandoah Valley, USA. This conclusion results from a comparison of four alternative representations of anisotropy in which the hydraulic-conductivity tensor...
Authors
R. M. Yager, C.I. Voss, S. Southworth

Ecological risk of heavy metals in sediments of the Luan river source water Ecological risk of heavy metals in sediments of the Luan river source water

Distribution and characteristics of heavy metals enrichment in sediment were surveyed including the bio-available form analyzed for assessment of the Luan River source water quality. The approaches of sediment quality guidelines (SQG), risk assessment code and Hakanson potential ecological risk index were used for the ecological risk assessment. According to SQG, The results show that in...
Authors
Jingling Liu, Yongli Li, Bao Zhang, Jinling Cao, Zhiguo Cao, Joseph L. Domagalski

Response of Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis) riverine roosting habitat to changes in stage and sandbar morphology Response of Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis) riverine roosting habitat to changes in stage and sandbar morphology

Over the past century, flow regulation and vegetation encroachment have reduced active channel widths along the central Platte River, Nebraska. During the last two decades, an annual program of in-channel vegetation management has been implemented to stabilize or expand active channel widths. Vegetation management practices are intended to enhance riverine habitats which include...
Authors
P.J. Kinzel, J. M. Nelson, A.K. Heckman

Plants and ventifacts delineate late Holocene wind vectors in the Coachella Valley, USA Plants and ventifacts delineate late Holocene wind vectors in the Coachella Valley, USA

Strong westerly winds that emanate from San Gorgonio Pass, the lowest point between Palm Springs and Los Angeles, California, dominate aeolian transport in the Coachella Valley of the western Sonoran Desert. These winds deposit sand in coppice dunes that are critical habitat for several species, including the state and federally listed threatened species Uma inornata, a lizard. Although...
Authors
Peter G. Griffiths, R. H. Webb, M. Fisher, Allan Muth

Inventories and mobilization of unsaturated zone sulfate, fluoride, and chloride related to land use change in semiarid regions, southwestern United States and Australia Inventories and mobilization of unsaturated zone sulfate, fluoride, and chloride related to land use change in semiarid regions, southwestern United States and Australia

Unsaturated zone salt reservoirs are potentially mobilized by increased groundwater recharge as semiarid lands are cultivated. This study explores the amounts of pore water sulfate and fluoride relative to chloride in unsaturated zone profiles, evaluates their sources, estimates mobilization due to past land use change, and assesses the impacts on groundwater quality. Inventories of...
Authors
Bridget R. Scanlon, David A. Stonestrom, Robert C. Reedy, Fred W. Leaney, John Gates, Richard G. Cresswell

Modeled ground water age distributions Modeled ground water age distributions

The age of ground water in any given sample is a distributed quantity representing distributed provenance (in space and time) of the water. Conventional analysis of tracers such as unstable isotopes or anthropogenic chemical species gives discrete or binary measures of the presence of water of a given age. Modeled ground water age distributions provide a continuous measure of...
Authors
Linda R. Woolfenden, Timothy R. Ginn

Assessment of lake sensitivity to acidic deposition in national parks of the Rocky Mountains Assessment of lake sensitivity to acidic deposition in national parks of the Rocky Mountains

The sensitivity of high-elevation lakes to acidic deposition was evaluated in five national parks of the Rocky Mountains based on statistical relations between lake acid-neutralizing capacity concentrations and basin characteristics. Acid-neutralizing capacity (ANC) of 151 lakes sampled during synoptic surveys and basin-characteristic information derived from geographic information...
Authors
L. Nanus, M.W. Williams, K. Campbell, K.A. Tonnessen, T. Blett, D. W. Clow
Was this page helpful?