Publications
This list of Water Resources Mission Area publications includes both official USGS publications and journal articles authored by our scientists. A searchable database of all USGS publications can be accessed at the USGS Publications Warehouse.
Filter Total Items: 18465
Trends in base flows and extreme flows in the Beaver Kill Basin, Catskill Mountains, New York, 1915-94
Long-term records from five streamflow-gaging stations within and near the 300-square mile Beaver Kill Basin were analyzed to determine whether construction and presence of New York State Route 17 (NY 17), which was completed in the late 1960's, could have altered hydrologic processes in the basin and thereby adversely affected the basin's trout populations. The hypothesis investigated is that NY
Authors
Barry P. Baldigo
Simulating contaminant attenuation, double-porosity exchange, and water age in aquifers using MOC3D
MOC3D is a general-purpose computer model developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for simulation of three-dimensional solute transport in ground water (Konikow and others, 1996). The model is an update to the widely used USGS two-dimensional solute-transport model (MOC) and is implemented as an optional “package” for the ground-water flow model MODFLOW (Harbaugh and McDonald, 1996). Directl
Authors
Daniel J. Goode
Distributions of uronic acids and O-methyl sugars in sinking and sedimentary particles in two coastal marine environments
Although recent research has indicated that bacteria may contribute an important fraction of biochemical residues in terrestrial and marine environments, it is difficult for geochemists to identify contributions from these ubiquitous and biochemically diverse organisms. Previous studies have suggested uronic acids and O-methyl sugars may be useful indicators of microbial abundance and activity, bu
Authors
Brian A. Bergamaschi, Jeffrey S. Walters, J. I. Hedges
Ground-water contamination by crude oil: Section B in U.S. Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology Program: Proceedings of the technical meeting, Charleston, South Carolina, March 8-12, 1999: Volume 3 (Part C)
Ground water contamination by crude oil, and other petroleum-based liquids, is a widespread problem. An average of 83 crude-oil spills occurred per year during 1994-96 in the United States, each spilling an average of about 50,000 barrels of crude oil (U.S. Office of Pipeline Safety, electronic commun., 1997). An understanding of the fate of organic contaminants (such as oil and gasoline) in the s
Authors
G. N. Delin, W.N. Herkelrath
Summary and evaluation of pesticides in field blanks collected for the National Water-Quality Assessment Program, 1992-95
Field blanks are quality-control samples used to assess contamination in environmental water samples. Contamination is the unintentional introduction of a chemical (pesticides in this instance) into an environmental water sample from sources such as inadequately cleaned equipment, dirty hands, dust, rain, or fumes. Contamination causes a positive bias in analytical measurements that may need to be
Authors
Jeffrey D. Martin, Robert J. Gilliom, Terry L. Schertz
Methods of analysis by the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Laboratory-Determination of arsenic and selenium in water and sediment by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry
Graphite furnace-atomic absorption spectrometry (GF-AAS) is a sensitive, precise, and accurate technique that can be used to determine arsenic and selenium in samples of water and sediment. The GF-AAS method has been developed to replace the hydride generation-atomic absorption spectrometry (HG-AAS) methods because the method detection limits are similar, bias and variability are comparable, and i
Authors
Sandra R. Jones, John R. Garbarino
From dry to wet, 1988-97, North Dakota
Unusual climatic and hydrologic conditions continue to affect the people and resources of North Dakota. Above-average precipitation during 1993-97 caused flooding in parts of North Dakota, and damage to crops, roads, and homes led to tremendous economic losses and increased personal stress for the people of the State. However, the above-average precipitation also replenished diminished water suppl
Authors
Tara Williams-Sether
Pesticides and bacteria in an urban stream; Gills Creek, Columbia, South Carolina
No abstract available.
Authors
Terry L. Maluk
North Dakota
North Dakota prairies contain numerous wetlands. The complex functions of these prairie wetlands have been of interest for decades. The hydrology, water chemistry, and biological characteristics of these wetlands are highly variable because of extreme warm/cold and wet/dry conditions. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been conducting studies (fig. 1) to gain insight into the functions of the p
Authors
Texas
In 1997, the Texas Legislature passed a comprehensive revision to the Texas Water Code. This legislation (Senate Bill 1) changed water planning in Texas from a statewide to a regional activity. By September 2001, the 16 regions created by Senate Bill 1 must produce water plans to address their water needs during drought-of-record conditions, and must identify water-management strategies for period
Authors
Stormwater runoff for selected watersheds in the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone, Bexar County, Texas, 1996-98
The Edwards aquifer is one of the most productive carbonate aquifers in the Nation. The dissolution-modified, faulted limestone aquifer is the sole source of public water supply for San Antonio, Texas (fig. 1) and is the major source of water for Bexar County. In addition to providing public water supply to more than 1 million people, the Edwards aquifer supplies large quantities of water for agri
Authors
D.J. Ockerman, B.L. Petri, R.N. Slattery
The quality of our nation's waters: Nutrients and pesticides
This report is the first in a series of nontechnical publications, 'The quality of our nation's waters,' designed to describe major findings of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program regarding water-quality issues of regional and national concern. Sources, seasonal and geographic patterns of occurrence, and long-term trends are evaluated for nutrients and pesticides in streams and ground wa
Authors