Publications

In 1991, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began implementation of the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. The long-term goals of the NAWQA Program are to describe the status and trends in the quality of a large, representative part of the Nation's surface- and ground- water resources, and to identify, describe, and explain, if possible, the major factors that affect the observed wa

Corn herbicides are used extensively in the White River Basin and account for about 70 percent of the total agricultural pesticide use in the basin. Acetochlor, a corn herbicide registered for use in 1994, is expected to reduce the total amount of corn herbicides used because of its broad-spectrum weed control and low use rates. Acetochlor is considered to be a probable human carcinogen, and its c

Wetlands, once perceived as worthless land, are now recognized as a necessary component of a vital landscape. However, due to draining and filling we have lost many of our wetlands. The loss of wetlands can have undesirable effects on the landscape, such as erosion, flooding, habitat loss and deterioration of water quality. While natural wetland systems are being destroyed nationwide, the wetlands

The USGS sampled streams in Montgomery County as part of a study done in cooperation with the Montgomery County Commissioners. The sampling program was designed by the Montgomery County Sanitarian and USGS hydrologists. The program focused on assessing general surface-water quality throughout the county and also targeted some specific areas of interest to county officials.

Thousands of abandoned and inactive mines are located in environmentally sensitive mountain watersheds. Cost-effective remediation of the effects of metals from mining in these watersheds requires knowledge of the most significant sources of metals. The significance of a given source depends on the toxicity of a particular metal, how much of the metal enters the stream, and whether or not the meta

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has measured rainfall at various locations in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, since 1963. Between 1992 and 1997, the USGS, in cooperation with Charlotte Stormwater Services, installed 43 raingages throughout Mecklengburg County and adjoining counties. These 43 raingages, combined with three previously installed gages, compose a data-collection network that pro

Human activities have caused dramatic changes to our Nation's landscape for over a century. Use of synthetic organic compounds in agriculture and industry has resulted in the accumulation and persistence of some of these compounds in natural systems. Concern has arisen over the contamination of our Nation's waters and the organisms that depend on them.

The flood tracking chart for the Red River of the North Basin can be used by local citizens and emergency response personnel to determine the latest river stage. By comparing the current stage (water-surface elevation above some datum) and predicted flood crest to the recorded peak stages of previous floods, emergency response personnel and residents can make informed decisions concerning the thre

The "1997 Flood Tracking Chart for the Sheyenne River Basin" can be used by local citizens and emergency response personnel to record the latest river stage and predicted flood-crest information.  By comparing the current state (water-surface elevation above some datum) and predicted flood crest to the recorded peak stages of previous floods, emergency response personnel and residents can make inf

This report documents the development of a computer model to simulate steady-state (long-term average) flow of ground water in the vicinity of Mirror Lake, which lies at the eastern end of the Hubbard Brook valley in central New Hampshire. The 10-km2 study area includes Mirror Lake, the three streams that flow into Mirror Lake, Leeman's Brook, Paradise Brook, and parts of Hubbard Brook and the Pem

A steady-state, three-dimensional flow model coupled with a particle-tracking algorithm was developed to assess the complex interaction of hydrogeologic conditions affecting ground-water flow and contaminant transport--including aquifer heterogeneities, hydrologic boundaries such as ponds and streams, ground-water withdrawals, and aquifer recharge to characterize the migration of contaminants eman

The study area, a metropolitan area in southeast Texas about 45 miles north of the Gulf of Mexico, has been undergoing extensive urban development since the 1950s. The Houston Urban Runoff Program was begun by the U.S. Geological Survey in water year 1964 to define the magnitude and frequency of flood peaks, to determine the impact of continuing urban development on surface-water hydrologic respon