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: 18468
Averaged 30 year climate change projections mask opportunities for species establishment
No abstract available.
Authors
Josep M. Serra-Diaz, Janet Franklin, Lynn C. Sweet, Ian M. McCullough, Alexandra D. Syphard, Helen M. Regan, Lorraine E. Flint, Alan L. Flint, John Dingman, Max A. Moritz, Kelly T. Redmond, Lee Hannah, Frank W. Davis
Use of stable isotope signatures to determine mercury sources in the Great Lakes
Sources of mercury (Hg) in Great Lakes sediments were assessed with stable Hg isotope ratios using multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. An isotopic mixing model based on mass-dependent (MDF) and mass-independent fractionation (MIF) (δ202Hg and Δ199Hg) identified three primary Hg sources for sediments: atmospheric, industrial, and watershed-derived. Results indicate atmosphe
Authors
Ryan F. Lepak, Runsheng Yin, David P. Krabbenhoft, Jacob M. Ogorek, John F. DeWild, Thomas M. Holsen, James P. Hurley
Reactive transport modeling of geochemical controls on secondary water quality impacts at a crude oil spill site near Bemidji, MN
Anaerobic biodegradation of organic amendments and contaminants in aquifers can trigger secondary water quality impacts that impair groundwater resources. Reactive transport models help elucidate how diverse geochemical reactions control the spatiotemporal evolution of these impacts. Using extensive monitoring data from a crude oil spill site near Bemidji, Minnesota (USA), we implemented a compreh
Authors
Gene-Hua Crystal Ng, Barbara A. Bekins, Isabelle M. Cozzarelli, Mary Jo Baedecker, Philip C. Bennett, Richard T. Amos, William N. Herkelrath
Flushing of distal hillslopes as an alternative source of stream dissolved organic carbon in a headwater catchment
We investigated potential source areas of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in headwater streams by examining DOC concentrations in lysimeter, shallow well, and stream water samples from a reference catchment at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest. These observations were then compared to high-frequency temporal variations in fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM) at the catchment outlet and t
Authors
John P Gannon, Scott W. Bailey, Kevin J. McGuire, James B. Shanley
Hydrogeochemical effects of a bulkhead in the Dinero mine tunnel, Sugar Loaf mining district, near Leadville, Colorado
The Dinero mine drainage tunnel is an abandoned, draining mine adit near Leadville, Colorado, that has an adverse effect on downstream water quality and aquatic life. In 2009, a bulkhead was constructed (creating a mine pool and increasing water-table elevations behind the tunnel) to limit drainage from the tunnel and improve downstream water quality. The goal of this study was to document changes
Authors
Katherine Walton-Day, Taylor J. Mills
Agencies collaborate, develop a cyanobacteria assessment network
Cyanobacteria are a genetically diverse group of photosynthetic microorganisms that occupy a broad range of habitats on land and water all over the world. They release toxins that can cause lung and skin irritation, alter the taste and odor of potable water, and cause human and animal illness. Cyanobacteria blooms occur worldwide, and climate change may increase the frequency, duration, and extent
Authors
Blake A. Schaeffer, Keith A. Loftin, Richard P. Stumpf, P. Jeremy Werdell
Potential estrogenic effects of wastewaters on gene expression in Pimephales promelas and fish assemblages in streams of southeastern New York
Direct linkages between endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) from municipal and industrial wastewaters and impacts on wild fish assemblages are rare. The levels of plasma vitellogenin (Vtg) and Vtg messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) in male fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) exposed to wastewater effluents and dilutions of 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2), estrogen activity, and fish assemblages in 1
Authors
Barry P. Baldigo, Scott D. George, Patrick J. Phillips, Joceyln D. C. Hemming, Nancy D. Denslow, Kevin J. Kroll
Hydraulic laboratory testing of Sontek-IQ Plus
The SonTek-IQ Plus (IQ Plus) is a bottom-mounted Doppler instrument used for the measurement of water depth and velocity. Evaluation testing of the IQ Plus was performed to assess the accuracy of water depth, discharge, and velocity measurements. The IQ Plus met the manufacturer’s specifications and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) standard for depth accuracy measurement when the unit was install
Authors
Janice M. Fulford, Scott Kimball
Implications of climate change on the heat budget of lentic systems used for power station cooling: Case study Clinton Lake, Illinois
We use a numerical model to analyze the impact of climate change--in particular higher air temperatures--on a nuclear power station that recirculates the water from a reservoir for cooling. The model solves the hydrodynamics, the transfer of heat in the reservoir, and the energy balance at the surface. We use the numerical model to (i) quantify the heat budget in the reservoir and determine how th
Authors
Juan C Quijano, P. Ryan Jackson, Santiago Santacruz, Viviana M Morales, Marcelo H. Garcia
Groundwater quality in the Chemung River, Eastern Lake Ontario, and Lower Hudson River Basins, New York, 2013
In a study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, water samples were collected from 4 production wells and 4 domestic wells in the Chemung River Basin, 8 production wells and 7 domestic wells in the Eastern Lake Ontario Basin, and 12 production wells and 13 domestic wells in the Lower Hudson River Basin (south
Authors
Tia-Marie Scott, Elizabeth A. Nystrom, James E. Reddy
Accounting for time- and space-varying changes in the gravity field to improve the network adjustment of relative-gravity data
The relative gravimeter is the primary terrestrial instrument for measuring spatially and temporally varying gravitational fields. The background noise of the instrument—that is, non-linear drift and random tares—typically requires some form of least-squares network adjustment to integrate data collected during a campaign that may take several days to weeks. Here, we present an approach to remove
Authors
Jeffrey R. Kennedy, Ty P.A. Ferre
Water Quality, Cyanobacteria, and Environmental Factors and Their Relations to Microcystin Concentrations for Use in Predictive Models at Ohio Lake Erie and Inland Lake Recreational Sites, 2013-14
Harmful cyanobacterial “algal” blooms (cyanoHABs) and associated toxins, such as microcystin, are a major water-quality issue for Lake Erie and inland lakes in Ohio. Predicting when and where a bloom may occur is important to protect the public that uses and consumes a water resource; however, predictions are complicated and likely site specific because of the many factors affecting toxin producti
Authors
Donna S. Francy, Jennifer L. Graham, Erin A. Stelzer, Christopher D. Ecker, Amie M.G. Brady, Pam Struffolino, Keith A. Loftin