Images

Black River at Elyria, OH - downstream of gage

A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service scientist collects water samples on Little Lake Butte des Morts, Wisconsin, for contaminants testing.

Field Overgrown with Phragmites

Dr. Kurt Kowalski in a Tall Phragmites Stand. Crane Creek, USFWS Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge.

Cement-lined channels such as this one in a section of the Kinnickinnic River at 11th Street in Milwaukee are slowly being removed in stream rehabilitation efforts. Water chemistry remains important, and this channel shows abundant algal growth from excess nutrients and abundant sunlight.

Wetland scientist Kurt Kowalski (GLSC) in a stand of Phragmites australis, or common reed, an invasive species in the Great Lakes.   Crane Creek, Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, OH.

These invasive quagga mussels were caught using a trawl, or fishing net.

Indiana Harbor Canal at East Chicago, IN - ADCP measurement - Moriah Will

Indiana Harbor Canal at East Chicago, IN - measurement - Andy Gorman

Indiana Harbor Canal at East Chicago, IN - walk bridge

Agricultural Stream in Indiana

In the Corn Belt states of the Midwestern U.S., intensive row-cropping surrounds small streams, effectively eliminating riparian cover and habitat. Agricultural activities can have profound effects on the chemical and physical characteristics of small streams.

In the Corn Belt states of the Midwestern U.S., intensive row-cropping surrounds small streams, effectively eliminating riparian cover and habitat. Agricultural activities can have profound effects on the chemical and physical characteristics of small streams.

In the Corn Belt states of the Midwestern U.S., intensive row-cropping surrounds small streams, effectively eliminating riparian cover and habitat. Agricultural activities can have profound effects on the chemical and physical characteristics of small streams.

In the Corn Belt states of the Midwestern U.S., intensive row-cropping surrounds small streams, effectively eliminating riparian cover and habitat. Agricultural activities can have profound effects on the chemical and physical characteristics of small streams.

Many small farms in the Corn Belt state of the Midwest also have confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs). These CAFOs can be a source of nitrogen to receiving small streams. The USGS Regional Stream Quality Assessment (RSQA) investigated the water quality of small streams across the Midwest during 2013.

Micro-samplers are sophisticated instruments that collect small "sips" of water at designated intervals.  Installing one during high water conditions is a tricky business.  The samples, collected every few hours, provide a picture of how rapidly water quality can change over time.  These samples were analyzed for a suite of hundreds of pesticides.&nbs

Micro-samplers are sophisticated instruments that collect small "sips" of water at frequent intervals.  The samples, collected every few hours, provide a picture of how rapidly water quality can change over time.  These samples were analyzed for a suite of hundreds of pesticides.  In 2013, the USGS Regional Stream Quality Assessment (

A USGS hydrologist and hydrologic technician install a microsampler in an urban creek in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The microsampler allows collection of a sample "sip" every 6 hours; the sips are composited into a daily sample. Collection of daily samples revealed the presence of more pesticides and higher concentrations than manual samples collected weekly.

As schools close for the year and summer weather beckons, many recreationalists head to the Great Lakes' public beaches. However, these coastal areas can become contaminated with disease-causing bacteria that threaten public health, disrupt water recreation, and pay a toll on the Great Lakes economies that depend on summer tourism.

USGS Water towers at Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center