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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

Distribution, species abundance, and nesting-site use of Atlantic coast colonies of herons and their allies

In 1975 and 1976, eight teams of investigators located 262 colonies of nesting herons and their allies along the Atlantic coast from Florida to Maine. Fourteen species were found in Florida, numbers decreasing to seven in Maine. Colonies censused in the extreme south and north of the study area were lower in number of species and number of adults than those in the intermediate area. More than 90%
Authors
Thomas W. Custer, Ronald G. Osborn, W.F. Stout

Sediment deposition in the White River Reservoir, northwestern Wisconsin

The history of deposition in the White River Reservoir was reconstructed from a study of sediment in the reservoir. Suspended-sediment concentrations, particle size, and streamflow characteristics were measured at gaging stations upstream and downstream from the reservoir from November 1975 through September 1977. Characteristics of the sediments were determined from borings and samples taken whil
Authors
W. G. Batten, S. M. Hindall

Ground water of coal deposits, Bay County, Michigan

A coal deposit in Bay County, Mich., typical of Pennsylvanian-coal deposits in the State, was studied to determine the degree to which hydrologic factors might affect future coal mining. The coal deposit, which averages about 0.5 meters in thickness, lies 50 meters below land surface. It is part of a multi-layered aquifer system that contains sandstone, shale, sand and gravel, and clay units in ad
Authors
J. R. Stark, Michael G. McDonald

Ground-water appraisal of sand plains in Benton, Sherburne, Stearns, and Wright counties, central Minnesota

Surficial-sand aquifers in 960 square miles of central Minnesota have been studied to determine the occurrence, availability, and suitability of the surficial aquifer as a source of water. The aquifer is being increasingly developed for irrigation. During the drought of 1976, nearly 24,000 acre-feet of ground water was withdrawn for irrigation, more than double that of the previous year. The numbe
Authors
Gerald F. Lindholm

Channel erosion and sediment transport in Pheasant Branch basin near Middleton, Wisconsin; a preliminary report

The purpose of this 5-year study is to (1) evaluate the sediment transport, streamflow characteristics, and stream-channel morphology, (2) relate the above to land-use practices; and (3) evaluate the effect that changes in land-use practices will have on Pheasant Branch basin near Middleton, Wis. This report presents findings of sediment transport, streamflow characteristics, and stream-channel mo
Authors
R. Stephen Grant, Gerald Goddard

Comparison of tracer methods and predictive equations for determination of stream-reaeration coefficients on three small streams in Wisconsin

Four modified nonradioactive-tracer methods and 20 predictive equations for determination of stream-reaeration coefficients in three small Wisconsin streams were compared with the radioactive-tracer method developed by Tsivoglou. Of the four modified-tracer techniques, the propane-area technique, which measures the total weight of propane gas passing stream-sampling stations, yielded the least mea
Authors
R. Stephen Grant, Steven Skavroneck

Effects of urbanization on the water quality of lakes in Eagan, Minnesota

Water-quality characteristics of 17 lakes and ponds in the city of Eagan were described from data collected from 1972 through 1978. The data showed that differences in water quality between lakes were related to differences in the percentage of urbanization. However, water-quality variations within each lake were affected more by climatic variations than by land-use changes during that period. Dis
Authors
M. A. Ayers, G. A. Payne, Mark A. Have

Ground-water appraisal in northwestern Big Stone County, west-central Minnesota

The development of ground water for irrigation in northwestern Big Stone County has not kept up with development in other irrigable areas of the State. This is due, in part, to the absence of extensive surficial aquifers and the difficulty in locating buried aquifers. Test augering south of Beardsley outlined a small surficial aquifer that consists of outwash deposits of sand and gravel. The aquif
Authors
W.G. Soukup

Hydrology and water quality of the copper-nickel study region, northeastern Minnesota

Data were collected on the hydrology of the Copper-Nickel study region to identify the location and nature of groundwater resources, determine the flow characteristics and general quality of the major streams, and determine the potential effects of mining copper and nickel on the hydrologic stream. Groundwater generally occurs in local flow systems within surficial deposits and in fractures in the
Authors
Donald I. Siegel, Donald W. Ericson

Hydrologic setting of Williams Lake, Hubbard County, Minnesota

The hydrology and geology of Williams Lake watershed was studied to evaluate the accuracy of various methods used to determine precipitation and evaporation in lake water-balance studies and to define a lake and ground-water system according to approaches suggested by theoretical modeling studies. Regression analysis between estimated and measured precipitation at the lake showed that the accuracy
Authors
Donald I. Siegel, Thomas C. Winter

Hydrologic budget for Eagle Lake near Willmar, Minnesota

Eagle Lake occupies 890 acres of a 9,000-acre watershed in central Minnesota. Because of its proximity to Willmar, many homes and summer cabins have been built around the lake. Presently (1978), the shore is more than 90 percent developed. One effect of this development is accelerated eutrophication, most commonly shown by algae blooms. An annual hydrologic budget for Eagle Lake was prepared for t
Authors
C. F. Myette

Hydraulic characteristics of an underdrained irrigation circle, Muskegon County wastewater disposal system, Michigan

Muskegon County, Michigan, disposes of wastewater by spray irrigating farmland on its waste-disposal site. Buried drains in the highly permeable unconfined aquifer at the site control the level of the water table. Hydraulic conductivity of the aquifer and drain-leakance, the reciprocal of resistance to flow into the drains, was determined at a representative irrigation circle while calibrating a m
Authors
M.G. McDonald