Publications

The statewide average precipitation of 36.00 inches for the 1999 water year was 4.35 inches greater than the normal annual precipitation of 31.65 inches for water years 1961-90. Average precipitation values ranged from 83 percent of normal at both the Rosholt 9 NNE weather station in north central Wisconsin and Shawano 2 SSW WWTP weather station in northeast Wisconsin to 155 percent of normal at t

The cities of Kingsford and Iron Mountain are in the southwestern part of Dickinson County in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Residents and businesses in these cites rely primarily on ground water from aquifers in glacial deposits. Glacial deposits generally consist of an upper terrace sand-and-gravel unit and a lower outwash sand-and-gravel unit, separated by lacustrine silt and clay and eolian

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, collected water samples during the September 1 - December 15, 1999 removal of sediment contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from a reach of the Lower Fox River designated Sediment Management Unit (SMU) 56/57. Results of analyses of the samples, along with monitoring activities of several ot

Streamwater samples were collected at 19 sites in the vicinity of the Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin Reservation. Samples were collected during 5 sampling periods in 1997-98. Field measurements were made and samples were analyzed for nutrients, suspended sediment, major ions, and pesticides. Physical characteristics and human activity influence surface-water quality in the study area. Predom

As part of the Chicagoland Underflow Plan/Tunnel and Reservoir Plan, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago District, plans to build McCook Reservoir.a flood-control reservoir to store combined stormwater and raw sewage (combined sewage). To prevent the combined sewage in the reservoir from becoming anoxic and producing hydrogen sulfide gas, a coarse-bubble aeration system will be designed and

A mass balance approach was used to determine the most important nonpoint source of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in storm water from an asphalt parking lot without obvious point sources (e.g., gasoline stations). The parking lot surface and atmosphere are important nonpoint sources of VOCs, with each being important for different VOCs. The atmosphere is an important source of soluble, oxygena

This report describes the variability in family-level benthic-invertebrate population data and the reliability of the data as a water-quality indicator for 11 fixed surface-water sites in the Western Lake Michigan Drainages study area of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program. Benthic-invertebrate-community measures were computed for the following: number of individuals, Hilsenhoff’s Family

Trace elements were analyzed in streambed sediment and fish livers in part of the Upper Mississippi River Basin as part of the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Water-Quality Assessment Program. The purpose of this report was to describe the occurrence and distribution of trace elements, describe the relations of concentrations measured to natural and anthropogenic factors, and describe any relati

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the Heron Lake Watershed District, conducted a study to characterize the rainfall-runoff response and to examine the effects of wetland restoration on the rainfall-runoff response within the Heron Lake Basin in southwestern Minnesota. About 93 percent of the land cover in the Heron Lake Basin c

More than 70 streams in the St. Croix River Basin in Minnesota were sampled for fish community composition and physical habitat during 1996–98. A habitat index was developed based on measurements, field observations, and land use. The objective was to develope a habitat index for use to evaluate water quality and the effects of nonpoint-source effects not associated with habitat degradation. Core

Two Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) models, developed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, were used to evaluate the effects of fine-grained (less than 2 millimeters) sediment on brook trout (Salvelinusfontinalis, Mitchill) and brown trout (Salmo trutta, Linnaeus) in 11 streams in west-central and southwestern Wisconsin. Our results indicated that fine-grained sediment limited brook trout habita

The report summarizes major findings about water quality in part of the upper Mississippi River basin that emerged from an assessment conducted from 1995 to 1998 by the NAWQA Program. Water quality is discussed in terms of local and regional issues and compared to conditions in the other 36 NAWQA study units assessed to date. Findings are also explained in the context of selected national benchmar