California Waters - Spring 2022 - Vol. II | Issue II
Welcome to the Spring 2022 edition of the USGS California Water Science Center newsletter. The purpose of this newsletter is to keep its readers updated with current research projects, the latest publications, and other work the center is doing.
Identifying the Source and Taxa That are Producing Microcystins Detected in San Francisco Bay
Microcystins are toxins produced by cyanobacteria (previously known as blue-green algae ) that are harmful to humans and other animals. In 2012, microcystins began to be detected in San Francisco Bay (SFB). This was unexpected because most microcystin producing cyanobacteria live in freshwater. On-going microcystin-related work has focused on monitoring the presence of microcystins in water and biota. Despite this effort, the source or sources of microcystins in SFB remain unknown, as the organisms that form them have not been found.
USGS Scientists Explain How Aquifer Compaction is Measured
A recent tour of California’s Central Valley given by the nonprofit organization Water Education Foundation included a stop at the USGS California Water Science Center’s extensometer near Porterville.
Monitoring and modeling soil moisture to improve runoff forecasting and drought characterization in the Feather River Basin
Drought, along with recent wildfires, have had enormous impacts downstream on water quantity and quality. These conditions have greatly impacted the agriculture and the residents of the nearby Central Valley.
Electromagnetic Survey Identifies Fresh Submarine Groundwater Offshore San Diego
Innovative research technique used to find a new source of water in the area offshore of San Diego County.
Effects of imported recharge on fluoride trends in groundwater used for public supply in California
Fluoride is a naturally occurring element in groundwater that supports bone and dental health at low concentrations but can cause health problems at elevated concentrations in drinking water. This study investigates spatial and temporal trends for fluoride concentrations in untreated groundwater from over 20,000 public supply wells in California. The presence of a significant temporal trend in flu
California Water Science Center Adds New Webcams
Three new webcams have recently been installed at these streamgaging sites in California:
Truckee River at Boca Bridge near Truckee, CA
Suisun Bay near Bay Point, CA
False River near Oakley, CA
Mapping aquifer salinity gradients and effects of oil field produced water disposal using geophysical logs: Elk Hills, Buena Vista and Coles Levee Oil Fields, San Joaquin Valley, California
The effects of oil and gas production on adjacent groundwater quality are becoming a concern in many areas of the United States. As a result, it has become increasingly important to identify which aquifers require monitoring and protection. In this study, we map the extent of groundwater with less than 10,000 mg/L TDS both laterally and vertically near the Elk Hills, Buena Vista and Coles Levee Oi
Integrated hydrologic model development and postprocessing for GSFLOW using pyGSFLOW
pyGSFLOW is a python package designed to create new GSFLOW integrated hydrologic models, read existing models, edit model input data, run GSFLOW models, process output, and visualize model data.
Occurrence of water and thermogenic gas from oil-bearing formations in groundwater near the Orcutt Oil Field, California, USA
Study regionSanta Barbara County, California, USA.Study focusTo analyze a wide array of newly collected chemical, isotopic, dissolved gas, and age dating tracers in conjunction with historical data from groundwater and oil wells to determine if water and/or thermogenic gas from oil-bearing formations have mixed with groundwater in the Orcutt Oil Field and surrounding area.New hydrological insights