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
A multiphased approach to groundwater investigations for the Edwards-Trinity and related aquifers in the Pecos County region, Texas
The Edwards-Trinity aquifer is a vital groundwater resource for agricultural, industrial, and public supply uses in the Pecos County region of western Texas. Resource managers would like to understand the future availability of water in the Edwards-Trinity aquifer in the Pecos County region and the effects of the possible increase or temporal redistribution of groundwater withdrawals. To provide r
Authors
Jonathan V. Thomas
Density-stratified flow events in Great Salt Lake, Utah, USA: implications for mercury and salinity cycling
Density stratification in saline and hypersaline water bodies from throughout the world can have large impacts on the internal cycling and loading of salinity, nutrients, and trace elements. High temporal resolution hydroacoustic and physical/chemical data were collected at two sites in Great Salt Lake (GSL), a saline lake in the western USA, to understand how density stratification may influence
Authors
David L. Naftz, Gregory T. Carling, Cory Angeroth, Michael Freeman, Ryan Rowland, Eddy Pazmiño
Comparison of surficial CO2 efflux to other measures of subsurface crude oil degradation
At a spill site near Bemidji, Minnesota, crude oil at the water table has been undergoing anaerobic biodegradation for over 30 years. Previous work at this site has shown that methane produced from biodegradation of the oil migrates upward and is oxidized in a methanotrophic zone midway between the water table and the surface. To compare microbial activity measurement methods from multiple locatio
Authors
Ean Warren, Natasha J. Sihota, Frances D. Hostettler, Barbara A. Bekins
Report of the River Master of the Delaware River for the period December 1, 2007-November 30, 2008
A Decree of the Supreme Court of the United States, entered June 7, 1954, established the position of Delaware River Master within the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). In addition, the Decree authorizes diversions of water from the Delaware River Basin and requires compensating releases from certain reservoirs, owned by New York City, to be made under the supervision and direction of the River Maste
Authors
Bruce E. Krejmas, Gary N. Paulachok, Stephen F. Blanchard
Methods and equations for estimating peak streamflow per square mile in Virginia’s urban basins
Models are presented that describe Virginia urban area annual peak streamflow per square mile based on basin percent urban area and basin drainage area. Equations are provided to estimate Virginia urban peak flow per square mile of basin drainage area in each of the following annual exceedance probability categories: 0.995, 0.99, 0.95, 0.9, 0.8, 0.67, 0.5, 0.43, 0.2, 0.1, 0.04, 0.02, 0.01, 0.005,
Authors
Samuel H. Austin
Watershed characteristics and water-quality trends and loads in 12 watersheds in Gwinnett County, Georgia
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources, established a Long-Term Trend Monitoring (LTTM) program in 1996. The LTTM program is a comprehensive, long-term, water-quantity and water-quality monitoring program designed to document and analyze the hydrologic and water-quality conditions of selected watersheds of Gwinnett County, Georgia. Water-quali
Authors
John K. Joiner, Brent T. Aulenbach, Mark N. Landers
Comparability among four invertebrate sampling methods, Fountain Creek Basin, Colorado, 2010-2012
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Colorado Springs City Engineering and Colorado Springs Utilities, designed a study to determine if sampling method and sample timing resulted in comparable samples and assessments of biological condition. To accomplish this task, annual invertebrate samples were collected concurrently using four sampling methods at 15 U.S. Geological Survey streamflo
Authors
Robert E. Zuellig, James F. Bruce, Robert W. Stogner, Sr., Krystal D. Brown
Adaptations of indigenous bacteria to fuel contamination in karst aquifers in south-central Kentucky
The karst aquifer systems in southern Kentucky can be dynamic and quick to change. Microorganisms that live in these unpredictable aquifers are constantly faced with environmental changes. Their survival depends upon adaptations to changes in water chemistry, taking advantage of positive stimuli and avoiding negative environmental conditions. The U.S. Geological Survey conducted a study in 2001 to
Authors
Thomas D. Byl, David W. Metge, Daniel T. Agymang, Mike Bradley, Gregg Hileman, Ronald W. Harvey
Reach-scale comparison of habitat and mollusk assemblages for select sites in the Clinch River with regional context
Several hypotheses, including habitat degradation and variation in fluvial geomorphology, have been posed to explain extreme spatial and temporal variation in Clinch River mollusk assemblages. We examined associations between mollusk assemblage metrics (richness, abundance, recruitment) and physical habitat (geomorphology, streambed composition, fish habitat, and riparian condition) at 10 sites se
Authors
Brett J. K. Ostby, Jennifer L. Krstolic, Gregory C. Johnson
Stream sediment sources in midwest agricultural basins with land retirement along channel
Documenting the effects of agricultural land retirement on stream-sediment sources is critical to identifying management practices that improve water quality and aquatic habitat. Particularly difficult to quantify are the effects from conservation easements that commonly are discontinuous along channelized streams and ditches throughout the agricultural midwestern United States. Our hypotheses wer
Authors
Tanja N. Williamson, Victoria G. Christensen, William B. Richardson, Jeffrey W. Frey, Allen C. Gellis, K. A. Kieta, Faith A. Fitzpatrick
Synthesis of thirty years of surface water quality and aquatic biota data in Shenandoah National Park: Collaboration between the US Geological Survey and the National Park Service
The eastern United States has been the recipient of acidic atmospheric deposition (hereinafter, “acid rain”) for many decades. Deleterious effects of acid rain on natural resources have been well documented for surface water (e.g., Likens et al. 1996; Stoddard et al. 2001), soils (Bailey et al. 2005), forest health (Long et al. 2009), and habitat suitability for stream biota (Baker et al. 1993). S
Authors
Karen C. Rice, John D. Jastram, John E. B. Wofford, James P. Schaberl
Continuous estimation of baseflow in snowmelt-dominated streams and rivers in the Upper Colorado River Basin: A chemical hydrograph separation approach
Effective science-based management of water resources in large basins requires a qualitative understanding of hydrologic conditions and quantitative measures of the various components of the water budget, including difficult to measure components such as baseflow discharge to streams. Using widely available discharge and continuously collected specific conductance (SC) data, we adapted and applied
Authors
Matthew P. Miller, David D. Susong, Christopher L. Shope, Victor M. Heilweil, Bernard J. Stolp