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: 18424
Landscape controls on the distribution and ecohydrology of central Oregon springs
Small springs in semiarid landscapes are essential for maintaining aquatic biodiversity and supporting livestock grazing operations. However, little is known about controls on the distribution and physical characteristics of small springs, the aquatic species they support, or their sensitivity to disturbance. We address this information gap in the Crooked River subbasin, a tributary of the Deschut
Authors
Zach Freed, Allison Aldous, Marshall W. Gannett
Contaminant baselines and sediment provenance along the Puget Sound Energy Transport Corridor, 2015
The transport of coal and oil can result in contaminated soil, water, and organisms from unintended releases. Trains carrying coal and crude oil regularly pass through Puget Sound, Washington, and an increase in the number of coal and oil trains is expected in the future. This study characterized levels of potentially toxic contaminants in sediment in September 2015: arsenic, metals, and polycycli
Authors
Renee K. Takesue, Pamela L. Campbell
Linking the agricultural landscape of the Midwest to stream health with structural equation modeling
Multiple physical and chemical stressors can simultaneously affect the biological condition of streams. To better understand the complex interactions of land-use practices, water quality, and ecological integrity of streams, the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Assessment Project is conducting regional-scale assessments of stream condition across the United States. In the summer of 20
Authors
Travis S. Schmidt, Peter C. Van Metre, Daren Carlisle
Elevated manganese concentrations in United States groundwater, role of land surface–soil–aquifer connections
Chemical data from 43 334 wells were used to examine the role of land surface–soil–aquifer connections in producing elevated manganese concentrations (>300 μg/L) in United States (U.S.) groundwater. Elevated concentrations of manganese and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in groundwater are associated with shallow, anoxic water tables and soils enriched in organic carbon, suggesting soil-derived DOC
Authors
Peter B. McMahon, Kenneth Belitz, James E. Reddy, Tyler D. Johnson
Investigating lake-area dynamics across a permafrost-thaw spectrum using airborne electromagnetic surveys and remote sensing time-series data in Yukon Flats, Alaska
Lakes in boreal lowlands cycle carbon and supply an important source of freshwater for wildlife and migratory waterfowl. The abundance and distribution of these lakes are supported, in part, by permafrost distribution, which is subject to change. Relationships between permafrost thaw and lake dynamics remain poorly known in most boreal regions. Here, new airborne electromagnetic (AEM) data collect
Authors
David Rey, Michelle Ann Walvoord, Burke Minsley, Jennifer Rover, Kamini Singha
Preface to historic and paleoflood analyses: New perspectives on climate, extreme flood risk, and the geomorphic effects of large floods
Paleofloods are flood events that occurred prior to instrumented records that are discerned from sedimentary evidence. Historic floods are flood events that predate the instrumented record that have been reconstructed based on evidence provided by historical sources. This special issue presents papers on historic and paleoflood analyses that stemmed from the 5th International Paleoflood Symposium
Authors
Lisa Davis, Tessa M. Harden, Samuel E. Muñoz, Jeanne E. Godaire, Jim E. O'Connor
Chlorinated byproducts of neonicotinoids and their metabolites: An unrecognized human exposure potential?
We recently reported the initial discovery of neonicotinoid pesticides in drinking water and their potential for transformation through chlorination and alkaline hydrolysis during water treatment. The objectives of this research were: (1) to determine if neonicotinoid metabolites are relevant to drinking water exposure and (2) to identify the products formed from chlorination of neonicotinoids and
Authors
Kathryn L. Klarich Wong, Danielle T. Webb, Matthew R. Nagorzanski, Dana W. Kolpin, Michelle L. Hladik, David M. Cwiertny, Gregory H. LeFevre
Potential toxicity of complex mixtures in surface waters from a nationwide survey of United States streams: Identifying in vitro bioactivities and causative chemicals
While chemical analysis of contaminant mixtures remains an essential component of environmental monitoring, bioactivity-based assessments using in vitro systems increasingly play a role in the detection of biological effects. Historically, in vitro assessments focused on a few biological pathways, e.g., aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) or estrogen receptor (ER) activities. High-throughput screening
Authors
Brett R. Blackwell, Gerald T. Ankley, Paul M. Bradley, Keith A. Houck, Sergei S. Makarov, Alexander V. Medvedev, Joe Swintek, Daniel L. Villeneuve
Draft genome sequence of Picocystis strain ML cultivated from Mono Lake, California
The microscopic alga Picocystis sp. strain ML is responsible for recurrent algal blooms in Mono Lake, CA. This organism was characterized by only very little molecular data, despite its prominence as a primary producer in saline environments. Here, we report the draft genome sequence for Picocystis sp. strain ML based on long-read sequencing.
Authors
Emily N Junkins, Blake W. Stamps, Frank A Corsetti, Ronald S. Oremland, John R. Spear, Bradley S. Stevenson
Estimating river discharge with swath altimetry: A proof of concept using AirSWOT observations
The forthcoming Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite mission will provide global measurements of the free surface of large rivers, providing new opportunities for remote sensing‐derived estimates of river discharge in gaged and ungaged basins. SWOT discharge algorithms have been developed and benchmarked using synthetic data but remain untested on real‐world swath altimetry observat
Authors
Stephen Tuozzolo, Greg D. Lind, Brandon Overstreet, Joseph F. Mangano, Mark A Fonstad, M. Hagemann, R.P.M. Frasson, K Larnier, P.-A. Garambois, J. Monnier, M. Durand
Development of perennial thaw zones in boreal hillslopes enhances potential mobilization of permafrost carbon
Permafrost thaw alters subsurface flow in boreal regions that in turn influences the magnitude, seasonality, and chemical composition of streamflow. Prediction of these changes is challenged by incomplete knowledge of timing, flowpath depth, and amount of groundwater discharge to streams in response to thaw. One important phenomenon that may affect flow and transport through boreal hillslopes is d
Authors
Michelle A. Walvoord, Clifford I. Voss, Brian A. Ebel, Burke J. Minsley
Temporal variability in nitrate – discharge relationships in large rivers as revealed by high frequency data
Little is known about temporal variability in nitrate concentration responses to changes in discharge on intraannual time scales in large rivers. To investigate this knowledge gap, we used a six‐year data set of daily surface water nitrate concentration and discharge averaged from near‐continuous monitoring at U.S. Geological Survey gaging stations on the Connecticut, Potomac, and Mississippi Rive
Authors
Margaret Zimmer, Brian A. Pellerin, Douglas A. Burns, Gregory Paul Petrochenkov