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Publications

Publications are the cornerstone of the Pennsylvania Water Science Center’s dissemination of scientific data and conclusions. 

Filter Total Items: 940

Effects of surface mining on the hydrology and biology in the Stony Fork basin, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, 1978-85

The effects of surface coal mining on the water quality, sediment discharge, and aquatic biology of streams in the Stony Fork Basin in southwestern Pennsylvania were studied from 1978 through 1985. Data were collected at five stream sites and one mine discharge site. Field data included streamflow, temperature, specific conductance, pH, acidity, and alkalinity. Laboratory analyses included sulfate
Authors
D.R. Williams, J.R. Ritter, T.M. Mastrilli

National Water-Quality Assessment Program; the Allegheny-Monongahela River Basin

In 1991, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began a National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program. The three major objectives of the NAWQA program are to provide a consistent description of current water-quality conditions for a large part of the Nation's water resources, define long-term trends in water quality, and identify, describe, and explain the major factors that affect water-quality co
Authors
Steven D. McAuley

Synthesis of nutrient and sediment data for watersheds within the Chesapeake Bay drainage basin

Nutrient and sediment data collected by Federal and state agencies from 1972 through 1992 at 1,058 surface-water sites in nontidal parts of the Chesapeake Bay Basin were compiled into a large database. Adequate nutrient, sediment, and streamflow data were not available to compute annual loads for all sites because water-quality monitoring at many of the sites was either short term or noncontinuous
Authors
M. J. Langland, P. L. Lietman, S. A. Hoffman

Altitude and configuration of the potentiometric surface, Casey Village, Warminster and Upper Southampton townships, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, August 3, 1995

A map showing the potentiometric surface in Casey Village, Warminster and Upper Southampton Townships, Bucks County, was constructed from water levels measured on August 3, 1995. The potentiometric surface, measured in 17 wells screened between 18 and 64 feet below land surface, ranged from 321.99 to 344.80 feet above sea level. The potentiometric surface, measured in 12 wells screened between 48
Authors
Ronald A. Sloto, Kevin E. Grazul

Simulation of streamflow and sediment transport in two surface-coal-mined basins in Fayette County, Pennsylvania

The Hydrological Simulation Program - Fortran (HSPF) was used to simulate streamflow and sediment transport in two surface-mined basins of Fayette County, Pa. Hydrologic data from the Stony Fork Basin (0.93 square miles) was used to calibrate HSPF parameters. The calibrated parameters were applied to an HSPF model of the Poplar Run Basin (8.83 square miles) to evaluate the transfer value of model
Authors
J. I. Sams, E. C. Witt

Use of stable isotopes of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfer to identify sources of nitrogen in surface waters in the Lower Susquehanna River basin, Pennsylvania

Stable isotopes of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and sulfur (S) in nitrogen sources and nearby samples of topsoil, subsoil, runoff water, and stream water were measured to evaluate the feasibility of using isotopic data to identify nitrogen sources in stream water from forested, agricultural, or suburban land-use areas. Chemical and isotopic compositions were measured for six N-source types consisting
Authors
C.A. Cravotta

Hydrology and the effects of selected agricultural best-management practices in the Bald Eagle Creek watershed, York County, Pennsylvania, prior to and during nutrient management: Water-quality study for the Chesapeake Bay Program

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Susquehanna River Basin Commission and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources, conducted a study as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Chesapeake Bay Program to determine the effects of nutrient management of surface-water quality by reducing animal units in a 0.43-square-mile agricultural watershed in York County.
Authors
Michael J. Langland, David K. Fishel

Geohydrology and vertical distribution of volatile organic compounds in ground water, Fischer and Porter Company Superfund Site, Warminster, Bucks County, Pennsylvania

The Fischer and Porter Company Superfund Site is underlain by sedimentary rocks of the Upper Triassic Stockton Formation, which consists of interbedded siltstone, very-fine grained to coarse-grained sandstone, and conglomerate in crudely defined, upward fining cycles. These rocks form a complex, heterogeneous, leaky, multiaquifer system comprised of a series of gently dipping lithologic units with
Authors
Ronald A. Sloto, Paola Macchiaroli, Randall W. Conger

Deposition and simulation of sediment transport in the Lower Susquehanna River reservoir system

The Susquehanna River drains 27,510 square miles in New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland and is the largest tributary to the Chesapeake Bay. Three large hydroelectric dams are located on the river, Safe Harbor (Lake Clarke) and Holtwood (Lake Aldred) in southern Pennsylvania, and Conowingo (Conowingo Reservoir) in northern Maryland. About 259 million tons of sediment have been deposited in the thr
Authors
R.A. Hainly, L.A. Reed, H.N. Flippo, G. J. Barton

Effects of selective handling of pyritic, acid-forming materials on the chemistry of pore gas and ground water at a reclaimed surface coal mine in Clarion County, PA, USA

A change from dragline to “selective handling” mining methods at a reclaimed surface coal mine in western Pennsylvania did not significantly affect concentrations of metals in ground water because oxidation of pyrite and dissolution of siderite were not abated. Throughout the mine, placement of pyritic material near the land surface facilitated the oxidation of pyrite, causing the consumption of o
Authors
Charles A. Cravotta, Diana L. Dugas, Keith Brady, Thomas E. Kovalchuck

Geochemical and geohydrological characteristics of bedrock and spol from two methods of mining at a reclaimed surface coal mine, Clarion County, PA, USA

Two methods of mining caused subtle differences in geochemical and geohydrological characteristics of spoil at a reclaimed surface coal mine in western Pennsylvania. A dragline was used in the southern area of the mine, and bulldozers and front-end loaders were used in the northern area. Mining methods used in the intervening, middle area are uncertain. In general, overburden at the mine consisted
Authors
Charles A. Cravotta, Keith Brady, Linda C. Gustafson-Minnich, Michael R. DiMatteo