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: 18426
Use of flow cytometry and stable isotope analysis to determine phytoplankton uptake of wastewater derived ammonium in a nutrient-rich river
Anthropogenic alteration of the form and concentration of nitrogen (N) in aquatic ecosystems is widespread. Understanding availability and uptake of different N sources at the base of aquatic food webs is critical to establishment of effective nutrient management programs. Stable isotopes of N (14N, 15N) are often used to trace the sources of N fueling aquatic primary production, but effective use
Authors
Calla M. Schmidt, Tamara E. C. Kraus, Megan B. Young, Carol Kendall
Size, age, renewal, and discharge of groundwater carbon
Groundwater carbon (C) supply to lakes and streams is important to understanding the role of inland waters in global and regional cycles and in the functioning of aquatic ecosystems. We provide new estimates of the size and discharge of the groundwater C pool using data from a broad survey of groundwater C, information on the depth distribution of groundwater, and data on groundwater age. About 0.
Authors
John A. Downing, Robert G. Striegl
Processing of next generation weather radar-multisensor precipitation estimates and quantitative precipitation forecast data for the DuPage County streamflow simulation system
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with DuPage County Stormwater Management Department, is testing a near real-time streamflow simulation system that assists in the management and operation of reservoirs and other flood-control structures in the Salt Creek and West Branch DuPage River drainage basins in DuPage County, Illinois. As part of this effort, the U.S. Geological Survey maintains a
Authors
Maitreyee Bera, Terry W. Ortel
Nutrient and metal loads estimated by using discrete, automated, and continuous water-quality monitoring techniques for the Blackstone River at the Massachusetts-Rhode Island State line, water years 2013–14
Flow-proportional composite water samples were collected in water years 2013 and 2014 by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, from the Blackstone River at Millville, Massachusetts (U.S. Geological Survey station 01111230), about 0.5 mile from the border with Rhode Island. Samples were collected in order to better understand the d
Authors
Jason R. Sorenson, Gregory E. Granato, Kirk P. Smith
A conceptual framework for effectively anticipating water-quality changes resulting from changes in agricultural activities
Agricultural activities can affect water quality and the health of aquatic ecosystems; many water-quality issues originate with the movement of water, agricultural chemicals, and eroded soil from agricultural areas to streams and groundwater. Most agricultural activities are designed to sustain or increase crop production, while some are designed to protect soil and water resources. Numerous soil-
Authors
Paul D. Capel, David M. Wolock, Richard H. Coupe, Jason L. Roth
PDEPTH—A computer program for the geophysical interpretation of magnetic and gravity profiles through Fourier filtering, source-depth analysis, and forward modeling
PDEPTH is an interactive, graphical computer program used to construct interpreted geological source models for observed potential-field geophysical profile data. The current version of PDEPTH has been adapted to the Windows platform from an earlier DOS-based version. The input total-field magnetic anomaly and vertical gravity anomaly profiles can be filtered to produce derivative products such as
Authors
Jeffrey D. Phillips
Description of the National Hydrologic Model for use with the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS)
This report documents several components of the U.S. Geological Survey National Hydrologic Model of the conterminous United States for use with the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS). It provides descriptions of the (1) National Hydrologic Model, (2) Geospatial Fabric for National Hydrologic Modeling, (3) PRMS hydrologic simulation code, (4) parameters and estimation methods used to compu
Authors
R. Steven Regan, Steven L. Markstrom, Lauren E. Hay, Roland J. Viger, Parker A. Norton, Jessica M. Driscoll, Jacob H. LaFontaine
Changes in biological communities of the Fountain Creek Basin, Colorado, 2003–2016, in relation to antecedent streamflow, water quality, and habitat
The analysis described in this report is part of a longterm project monitoring the biological communities, habitat, and water quality of the Fountain Creek Basin. Biology, habitat, and water-quality data have been collected at 10 sites since 2003. These data include annual samples of aquatic invertebrate communities, fish communities, water quality, and quantitative riverine habitat. This report e
Authors
James Roberts, James F. Bruce, Robert E. Zuellig
Groundwater quality in the shallow aquifers of the Madera–Chowchilla and Kings subbasins, San Joaquin Valley, California
Groundwater provides more than 40 percent of California’s drinking water. To protect this vital resource, the State of California created the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The GAMA Program’s Priority Basin Project assesses the quality of groundwater resources used for drinking-water supply and increases public access to groundwater-quality information. Many househol
Authors
Miranda S. Fram, Jennifer L. Shelton
Simulation of hydrodynamics, water quality, and lake sturgeon habitat volumes in Lake St. Croix, Wisconsin and Minnesota, 2013
Lake St. Croix is a naturally impounded, riverine lake that makes up the last 40 kilometers of the St. Croix River. Substantial land-use changes during the past 150 years, including increased agriculture and urban development, have reduced Lake St. Croix water-quality and increased nutrient loads delivered to Lake St. Croix. A recent (2012–13) total maximum daily load phosphorus-reduction plan set
Authors
Erik A. Smith, Richard L. Kiesling, Jeffrey R. Ziegeweid, Sarah M. Elliott, Suzanne Magdalene
Chemical concentrations in water and suspended sediment, Green River to Lower Duwamish Waterway near Seattle, Washington, 2016–17
From August 2016 to March 2017, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected representative samples of filtered and unfiltered water and suspended sediment (including the colloidal fraction) at USGS streamgage 12113390 (Duwamish River at Golf Course, at Tukwila, Washington) during 13 periods of differing flow conditions. Samples were analyzed by Washington-State-accredited laboratories for a large
Authors
Kathleen E. Conn, Robert W. Black, Norman T. Peterson, Craig A. Senter, Elena A. Chapman
Effects of watershed and in-stream liming on macroinvertebrate communities in acidified tributaries to an Adirondack lake
Liming techniques are being explored as a means to accelerate the recovery of aquatic biota from decades of acid deposition in many regions. The preservation or restoration of native sportfish populations has typically been the impetus for liming programs, and as such, less attention has been given to its effects on other biological assemblages such as macroinvertebrates. Furthermore, the differin
Authors
Scott D. George, Barry P. Baldigo, Gregory B. Lawrence, Randall L. Fuller