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Publications

Browse more than 150,000 publications authored by our scientists over the past 100+ year history of the USGS.  Publications available are: USGS-authored journal articles, series reports, book chapters, other government publications, and more.

Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center Publications

Filter Total Items: 3223

A two-dimensional hydrodynamic model of the St. Clair-Detroit River waterway in the Great Lakes basin

The St. Clair-Detroit River waterway connects Lake Huron with Lake Erie in the Great Lakes basin to form part of the international boundary between the United States and Canada. A two-dimensional hydrodynamic model is developed to compute flow velocities and water levels as part of a source water assessment of public water intakes. The model, which uses the generalized finite-element code RMA2, di
Authors
David J. Holtschlag, John A. Koschik

Determination of methyl mercury by aqueous phase ethylation, followed by gas chromatographic separation with cold vapor atomic fluorescence detection

A recent national sampling of streams in the United States revealed low methyl mercury concentrations in surface waters. The resulting median and mean concentrations, calculated from 104 samples, were 0.06 nanograms per liter (ng/L) and 0.15 ng/L, respectively. This level of methyl mercury in surface water in the United States has created a need for analytical techniques capable of detecting sub-n
Authors
John F. De Wild, Mark L. Olsen, Shane D. Olund

Surface-water quality-assurance plan for the Wisconsin district of the U. S. Geological Survey, Water Resources Division

This surface-water quality-assurance plan documents the standards, policies, and procedures used by the Wisconsin District of the U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources Division, for activities related to the collection, processing, storage, analysis, management, and publication of surface-water data. The roles and responsibilities of District personnel in following these policies and procedures
Authors
H.S. Garn

Water-quality parameters and benthic algal communities at selected streams in Minnesota, August 2000 - Study design, methods and data

Water-quality measurements and benthic algal samples were measured or collected from select Minnesota streams as part of a multiagency (Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and U.S. Geological Survey) study. The goal of the multiagency study was to identify quantifiable thresholds of water-quality impairment and establ
Authors
K. E. Lee

Water-Resources Investigations in Wisconsin, 2002

The statewide average precipitation of 34.83 inches for the 2001 water year was 3.15 inches greater than the normal annual precipitation of 31.68 inches for water years 1961–90. Average precipitation values affecting streamflow conditions ranged from 92 percent in northeast Wisconsin to 122 percent in southwest Wisconsin with a statewide average of 110 percent (summary tables provided by Lyle Ande
Authors
K. A. Hueschen, S.Z. Jones, J. A. Fuller

Water use in Wisconsin, 2000

As part of the National Water-Use Information Program, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) stores water-use data in standardized format for different catego ries of water use. Information about amounts of water withdrawn, sources of wa ter, how the water was used, and how much water was returned is available to those involved in establishing water-resource policy and to those managing water resource
Authors
B.R. Ellefson, C.D. Mueller, C.A. Buchwald

Estimates of recharge to unconfined aquifers and leakage to confined aquifers in the seven-county metropolitan area of Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota

Recharge to unconfined aquifers in the seven-county Twin Cities metropolitan area of Minnesota was estimated by five methods. Mean recharge estimated as a percentage (27 percent) of precipitation ranged from 7.7 to 8.3 in./yr across the study area. The median recharge estimated from automated analyses of streamflow-recession displacements for seven basins ranged from 1.2 to 12.2 in./yr. Median rec
Authors
James F. Ruhl, Roman Kanivetsky, Boris Shmagin

Elemental chemistry of streambed sediments of the St. Croix River Basin, 2000

Streambed sediments from 30 sites in the St. Croix River Basin were analyzed for selected chemical elements. Possible occurrences of low-level contamination include: (1) elevated concentrations of arsenic, lead, silver, and to a lesser extent cadmium, copper, and mercury in the Namekagon River downstream of Hayward, Wisconsin; (2) elevated lead concentrations in the St. Croix River downstream of t
Authors
Mark E. Brigham

Flow distribution in selected branches of St. Clair and Detroit rivers

St. Clair and Detroit rivers, which are connecting channels between Lake Huron and Lake Erie in the Great Lakes basin, form part of the boundary between the state of Michigan and the province of Ontario. In 13 reaches, this flow divides locally around islands and dikes to form 31 branches. This study develops a set of simple linear regression equations for computing expected flow proportions in br
Authors
David J. Holtschlag, John A. Koschik

Evaluation of potential impacts on Great Lakes water resources based on climate scenarios of two GCMs

The results of general circulation model predictions of the effects of climate change from the Canadian Centre for Climate Modeling and Analysis (model CGCM1) and the United Kingdom Meteorological Office's Hadley Centre (model HadCM2) have been used to derive potential impacts on the water resources of the Great Lakes basin. These impacts can influence the levels of the Great Lakes and the volumes
Authors
Brent M. Lofgren, F. H. Quinn, A. H. Clites, Raymond A. Assel, A. J. Eberhardt, Carol L. Luukkonen

A field guide to amphibian larvae and eggs of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa

Apparent worldwide declines in amphibian populations (Pechmann and Wake 1997) have stimulated interest in amphibians as bioindicators of the health of ecosystems. Because we have little information on the population status of many species, there is interest by public and private land management agencies in monitoring amphibian populations. Amphibian egg and larval surveys are established methods o
Authors
J.R. Parmelee, M. G. Knutson, J.E. Lyon