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Seven U.S. Geological Survey scientists will share their research at the workshop. Topics will include satellite-based detection of harmful algal blooms, mercury in Hells Canyon reservoirs, and monitoring of selenium and mercury in the Kootenai River. A full schedule of USGS speakers and topics is available for download. For more information on the workshop, please visit https://www.deq.idaho.gov/water-quality-workshop.

USGS speakers at the 2020 Idaho Water Quality Workshop

(Public domain.)

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Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey and the Geological Surveys of Illinois, Kentucky and Indiana are partnering to image geology using airborne geophysical technology as part of the USGS Earth Mapping Resource Initiative (Earth MRI) project.

For this tri-state survey, the USGS is contracting with EON Geosciences and will fly over all or parts of 23 counties in southeastern Illinois, western Kentucky and southern Indiana. The planes and crew will be based out of the Barkley Regional Airport in west Paducah, Kentucky. The survey began in early October and will be completed in December.

The survey will be flown at elevations approximately 80 to 300 meters, or about 260 to 1,000 feet, above ground in a grid pattern along east-west flight lines spaced approximately 200 meters, or 650 feet, apart. North-south flight lines will be spaced 3,000 meters, or 9,800 feet, apart. All survey flights will occur during daylight hours.        

A Piper Navajo airplane with tail stinger magnetometer in flight. 

(Credit: Courtesy EON Geosciences, Inc.)

Two Piper Navajo airplanes will be mounted with sensors that measure variations in the earth’s magnetic field. These variations are created by different rock types up to several miles beneath the surface. Each plane will also include sensors that measure soil and rock chemistry at the surface. None of the instruments carried on the aircraft pose a health risk to people or animals. The aircraft will be flown by experienced pilots that are specially trained and approved for low-level flying. All flights are coordinated with the FAA to ensure flights are in accordance with U.S. law.

This survey is one of five large airborne geophysical campaigns being conducted across various parts of the U.S. The surveys will help understand the geology over areas that may contain critical mineral-bearing deposit types. The 2019-2020 Earth MRI focus is to better understand several types of rare earth element deposits that occur within the five airborne geophysical surveys. Data collected as part of all five surveys will be made public and used to guide more detailed geologic mapping at local scales. When the data analysis is complete, results will provide state-of-the-art, subsurface maps that will contribute to a wide range of 3D representations of the nation’s exposed and concealed geology.

Earth MRI is a cooperative effort between the USGS, the Association of American State Geologists and other federal, state and private sector organizations to improve knowledge of the geologic framework in the U.S.

        

Map indicating flight area for tri-state low-level flight survey. The flights will cover 23 counties in Illinois, Kentucky and Indiana, and are included within the red rectangle. Flights began in October and are expected to conclude in December, 2019.

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“Watching our estimates for the Marcellus rise from 2 trillion to 84 trillion to 97 trillion in under 20 years demonstrates the effects American ingenuity and new technology can have,” said USGS Director Jim Reilly. “Knowing where these resources are located and how much exists is crucial to ensuring our nation’s energy independence.”

The assessment unit map for the Marcellus Shale within the Appalachian Basin. Although it occupies similar areas as the Point Pleasant-Utica Shale, the Marcellus is much younger, having formed in the Devonian age.

(Public domain.)

The Marcellus, Point Pleasant and Utica are extensive formations that cover parts of Kentucky, Maryland, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.

This is a significant increase from the previous USGS assessments of both formations. In 2011, the USGS estimated a mean of 84 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in the Marcellus Shale, and in 2012 the USGS estimated about 38 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in the Utica Shale.

Significant amounts of natural gas have been produced from the Marcellus and Utica Shales since the previous USGS assessments. USGS assessments are for remaining resources and exclude known and produced oil and gas.

A drill rig at a well site in the Marcellus Shale gas play of southwestern Pennsylvania.

(Credit: Ken Skipper, USGS. Public domain.)

The natural gas in these formations is classified as continuous, because it is spread throughout the assessed rock layers instead of being concentrated in discrete accumulations. Production techniques like directional drilling and hydraulic fracturing are required to produce these resources.

“Since our assessments in 2011 and 2012, industry has improved upon their development techniques for continuous resources like the shale gas in the Appalachian Basin,” said Walter Guidroz,  program coordinator for the USGS Energy Resources Program. “That technological advancement, plus all of the geological information we’ve gained from the last several years of production, have allowed us to greatly expand our understanding of these formations.”

The Marcellus Shale also contains an estimated 1.5 billion barrels of natural gas liquids, while the Point Pleasant-Utica Shale also contains an estimated 1.8 billion barrels of oil and 985 million barrels of natural gas liquids. Natural gas liquids are liquid hydrocarbons like propane, butane and/or ethane.

The assessments units of the Point Pleasant-Utica Shale Formation within the Appalachian Basin. Although it occupies similar areas as the Marcellus Shale, it was formed during the Ordovician Period, millions of years prior to the Marcellus.

(Public domain.)

These assessments are for undiscovered, technically recoverable resources. Undiscovered resources are those that have been estimated to exist based on geology and other data, but have not yet been proven to exist by drilling or other means. Technically recoverable resources, meanwhile, are those that can be produced using today’s standard industry practices and technology. This is different from reserves, which are those quantities of oil and gas that are currently profitable to produce.

USGS is the only provider of publicly available estimates of undiscovered technically recoverable oil and gas resources of onshore lands and offshore state waters. The USGS Marcellus and Point Pleasant-Utica Shale assessments were undertaken as part of a nationwide project assessing domestic petroleum basins using standardized methodology and protocol.

The new assessment of the Marcellus Shale can be accessed here. The new assessment of the Point Pleasant-Utica Shale may be found here. To find out more about USGS energy assessments and other energy research, please visit the USGS Energy Resources Program website and follow us on Twitter.

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These young fish are the first grass carp collected in their larval stage from within the Great Lakes watershed. Other life stages, including fertilized eggs, juveniles and adults, have been previously documented in tributaries and shoreline areas of Lake Erie. Identifying locations with larval grass carp in the Maumee River will help inform management decisions and allow natural resource agencies to better focus limited resources on grass carp removal efforts. 

“If grass carp become abundant in Lake Erie they could consume large amounts of aquatic vegetation, ultimately reducing habitat for native fish and other aquatic animals and diminishing food resources for waterbirds,” said USGS scientist Patrick Kočovský. “The Lake Erie ecosystem is a major contributor to the Great Lakes’ multi-billion dollar per year fishery.”

On June 13 and 26, 2018, a sampling crew from The University of Toledo collaborating with the USGS sampled the Maumee River in Toledo, Ohio, for early life stages of grass carp. The larval grass carp were collected near the I-280 bridge in the city of Toledo and near the river mouth adjacent to Brenner’s Marina during high water flow events typical of spawning conditions for grass carp. While the samples were being processed in January 2019, six larval fish resembling grass carp were identified.

These larval fish were sent to the USGS for genetic confirmation. Scientists analyzed DNA extracted from each larva in early February and confirmed with high confidence that the species of every hatchling was grass carp. Subsequent genetic sequencing of the larval fish DNA in late February confirmed that the larvae were grass carp.

“Collecting larval fish in a Great Lake is like finding a needle in a haystack,” said Christine Mayer of The University of Toledo Department of Environmental Sciences and Lake Erie Center. “Our finding helps make the haystack smaller when looking for spawning grass carp.”

The capture of these larval grass carp confirms previous evidence that they spawn in the Maumee River, and the capture of larvae during separate high flow events confirms the possibility of more than one successful spawning event within a year. This new discovery does not indicate the population size in the Maumee River, but underscores the continued need for early detection.

The USGS and The University of Toledo have previously documented grass carp spawning in the Sandusky River.

For more information about the threat of Asian carp in the Great Lakes, please visit the USGS Great Lakes Restoration Initiative website.

The larval grass carp capture locations were just downstream of the I-280 bridge in the city of Toledo and adjacent to Brenner’s Marina. The I-280 bridge is 5.4 kilometers (about 3.4 miles) from the first small embayment to the west of the river channel and 7.5 kilometers (about 4.7 miles) from the downstream-most point of the dredge spoil island to the northwest of the channel. Brenner’s Marina is just under a mile from the first small embayment to the west of the river channel and 3.5 kilometers (about 2.2 miles) from the downstream-most point of the dredge-spoil island. 

(Credit: Patrick Kočovský, USGS. Public domain.)

 

These images show grass carp larvae from the Maumee River. Characteristics of larval grass carp include overall length (left), skeletal muscle development (center) and presence of an eye spot that lacks pigmentation (right; pigment starting to develop on lower eye).

(Credit: Nicole King, The University of Toledo)

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The study highlights a new and important finding: Controllable well construction choices, not just location and depth, influence arsenic concentrations in drinking water.

“Chronic exposure to high levels of naturally occurring arsenic through drinking water can cause certain cancers, skin abnormalities and other adverse human health effects,” said Melinda Erickson, a USGS research hydrologist and the lead author of the study. “Results from this study can help improve arsenic concentration predictions and help identify safer groundwater supply options in similar aquifers throughout the U.S. and globally.”

The glacial aquifers of Minnesota used for domestic wells commonly have elevated arsenic concentrations. The new study found that short well screen lengths of four or five feet, which are typical, were associated with higher probabilities of elevated arsenic concentrations. At the time of well drilling, choosing to place a well screen farther beneath the overlying confining unit, also called an aquitard, and/or using a longer-length screen would lower, though not eliminate, the risk of having high arsenic concentrations in the well water. 

USGS scientists created arsenic hazard maps for regions in northwestern and central Minnesota, and used a sophisticated statistical model to determine which environmental and man-made variables influence arsenic concentrations. They found that natural aquifer characteristics, such as position on the landscape and soil chemistry, were among the most influential for predicting elevated arsenic levels.

Public water supplies are regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, but maintenance, testing and treatment of private water supplies are the responsibility of the homeowner. The EPA’s maximum arsenic level allowed for public water supplies is 10 micrograms of arsenic per liter of water. In Minnesota, arsenic concentrations exceed 10 micrograms of arsenic per liter in about 11 percent of newly constructed private wells, and arsenic is detectable in about 50 percent of wells. The Minnesota Department of Health recommends that well owners with detectable arsenic treat their drinking water.

Glacial and other sand and gravel aquifers similar to those in Minnesota exist across the northern U.S. and in places like southeastern Asia. Results from the study can help improve arsenic concentration prediction methods and groundwater infrastructure far beyond Minnesota.

This research was funded by the Minnesota Department of Health through the Minnesota Clean Water Fund and the USGS. The new study is published in the journal Water Resources Research. For more information about USGS water studies in Minnesota, visit the USGS Water Resources of Minnesota website.

This illustration compares the construction characteristics of two water wells. Note that the distance from the top of the well screen to the confining unit, or aquitard, is much shorter for the well on the right, as is the length of the screen in the underlying aquifer unit. Placing a well screen farther beneath the confining unit and/or using a longer-length screen, as shown for the well on the left, can decrease the likelihood of elevated arsenic concentrations in domestic well water. 

Credit: Modified from Figure 1 in Erickson & Barnes, 2005, reprinted with permission.

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Beginning in early November and lasting for several months, a low-level helicopter will begin flying over parts of seven states in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, or MAP, to acquire a more robust picture of aquifers in the area.

 

This high-resolution, airborne geophysical survey, coordinated by U.S. Geological Survey scientists in partnership with local agencies, will provide critical data for the evaluation and management of groundwater resources in the region. This survey represents the second phase of the study as initial flights and data acquisition over the MAP started in February using the same helicopter system.

 

The helicopter and geophysical instrumentation is expected to arrive in Greenwood, Mississippi, on or around October 31. After arrival, setup and testing will occur, so the helicopter and device it tows beneath will be visible as soon as November 2-4. Once testing is completed, daily production flights in the region will begin, with flights operating out of Greenwood for approximately two weeks.

CGG RESOLVE helicopter system in Greenwood, Mississippi. The USGS is working with CGG and other partners to gather geophysical information related to the Mississippi Alluvial Plain. The helicopter will be deployed in several smaller focus areas of interest where a series of high-resolution survey grids will be acquired.

(Credit: Burke Minsley, USGS. Public domain.)

 

CGG Airborne of Ontario, Canada, under contract to the USGS, will make the daytime, low-level flights over more than 20 million acres within the MAP, including a buffer around the entire area. Experienced pilots who are specially trained and approved for low-level flying will operate the aircraft. All flights are coordinated with the Federal Aviation Administration to ensure accordance with U.S. law.

The MAP is one of the most productive agricultural regions in the nation and depends on groundwater for irrigation. It constitutes the third largest area of irrigated cropland in the U.S., consisting of approximately 29,000 square miles, or 19 million acres, and includes parts of Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Kentucky and Illinois.

"This survey will allow the USGS to develop a high-resolution, three-dimensional representation of the groundwater resources for one the most important irrigated agricultural regions in the U.S.," said project lead and USGS scientist Wade H. Kress.

Instruments on the helicopter will collect information about the geology in shallow aquifers of the region. When the data analysis is complete, resulting state-of-the-art maps will help USGS researchers understand the aquifer system that supports groundwater resources at depths up to about 300 feet underground.

This survey will be flown along mainly east-west lines at about 200 feet above the ground. The helicopter will have an attached electromagnetic instrument housed in a cylinder called a bird that is towed about 100 feet beneath the aircraft.

The helicopter will also carry scientific instruments including a magnetometer and a gamma-ray spectrometer. None of the instruments pose a health risk to people or animals.

The survey is being conducted by the USGS Water Availability and Use Program as part of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain Regional Water Availability Study.  More information about this project can be found online.

Map of Mississippi Alluvial Plain airborne geophysical flight plan. Black lines indicate planned flight paths for an upcoming low-level helicopter survey that will occur over several months. Flights are scheduled to begin in the first week of November, 2018, based out of Greenwood, Mississippi. Online map and status updates can be found at http://arcg.is/01nraa.

(Public domain.)

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During this string of intense storms, more than 100 USGS scientists and technicians were mobilized across the affected regions to keep the USGS’s streamgage network operational, perform on-site measurements of flooded rivers, install storm-tide and wave sensors prior to the nor’easter, and measure high-water marks as flood waters receded.

A second nor’easter was affecting areas from Virginia to Maine on March 7, and was expected to bring heavy snow to some areas already impacted by the nor’easter that hit the area March 2-3.

In the coming days and weeks, USGS specialists will continue to monitor streamgages, make on-site measurements of river discharge to determine how much water is flowing, and provide data to aid the response in the Midwest and Mississippi watershed. The data from the USGS’ nationwide streamgage network provides vital information to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the National Weather Service, and other state and local agencies, enabling them to make river forecasts, operate flood control structures, and make important emergency management decisions. Besides aiding first responders and other emergency managers during the flooding, USGS streamgage data and flood science is used in the aftermath of floods and coastal storms to make decisions for long-term recovery.

Meanwhile, in the Northeast, coastal communities are just beginning to recover from the first nor’easter. Its intense winds and storm surge caused coastal erosion and tidal flooding in some states, leading to several deaths and leaving almost a million people without power. USGS crews will continue to document coastal flooding in the affected areas by analyzing the data gathered by the storm-tide and wave sensors deployed before the storm, and by flagging and surveying high-water marks, which will indicate to scientists how high the flood waters reached.

As some states struck by the severe weather begin to return to normal, others are dealing with continued flooding and the dangers that come with it. Here’s a look at some ongoing field work the USGS has been involved with over the past few weeks.  

Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee

David Crum, USGS hydrologic technician, prepares for a discharge measurement on the Mississippi River near Memphis, Tennessee February 27, 2018.  Photo by Jerry Garrett, USGS. (Public domain.)

From the upper Midwest to southern Mississippi, as much as 15 inches of rain fell during the past two weeks, causing major flooding in parts of Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Arkansas, Texas, and Tennessee. In some parts of Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana, as much as 10 inches of rain fell in a five-day period — equal to two months of rain in just a few days. Though recent drought meant that flooding wasn’t as extreme as it could have been, streams exceeded moderate to major flood levels in portions of these four states.

During the flooding, the states recorded numerous peaks of record, or measurements that were the highest ever recorded at those specific streamgages. Visit the Lower Mississippi Gulf Water Science Center website for current conditions of rivers and streams in the Lower Mississippi Gulf region.

Indiana

Beginning February 19, parts of Indiana saw up to seven inches of rain across northern portions of the state. This rain, which fell onto snow-covered frozen ground, increased runoff and caused flooding.

Communities along the Ohio River in the southern portion of the state, such as Evansville and New Albany, were affected. So were parts of South Bend, Elkhart, Goshen, and some smaller towns on the St. Joseph, Kankakee, Iroquois, and Tippecanoe rivers.

Twelve people from the Indianapolis office responded. During the flooding, Indiana saw six peaks of record. Visit the USGS website for current conditions of Indiana’s rivers and streams.

Michigan

On February 22, 2018, USGS hydrologic technician Thomas Morgan took a period of record discharge measurement on the St. Joseph River at Niles, MI. The measurement — of 23,200 cubic feet per second — is the highest ever made at this site, which has been in operation since 1931. Photo by Nathan Prokopec, USGS. (Public domain.)

In Michigan, heavy rain, melting snowpack, and frozen ground combined to create textbook conditions for flooding. Hundreds of homes and businesses in flood-prone areas of the Grand, Kalamazoo, and St. Joseph river watersheds were affected. Though high water has largely subsided, some waterways are still overflowing their banks.

More than 20 crews were deployed in Michigan to take streamflow and water-level measurements and the state recorded seven peaks of record. For up-to-date information on rivers and streams in Michigan, visit the USGS website.

Kentucky

USGS measures discharge at the Ohio River at Olmsted Lock and Dam. USGS photo. (Public domain.)

Heavy rainfall in late February across the upper portion of the watershed caused moderate to major flooding along the middle and lower Ohio River. At the request of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, researchers used a boat to make special discharge measurements at various locations downstream of Barkley and Kentucky lakes. The Corps had not released a volume of water this large from those reservoirs since 2010, and wanted to verify the amount to be released. Along the Ohio River, USGS crews collected the highest discharge measurements ever taken at three different gauges. Special water quality samples were also collected for the National Water Quality Program on the lower Ohio River at two locations. Thirteen people from the USGS offices in Murray and Louisville responded over the course of 10 days.

Ohio

As with other states, flooding in Ohio was caused by rain and snowpack thaw. While the state was spared more severe rainfall, the combination of an inch or two of rain daily on top of already saturated ground made for flooding.

The flooding in Ohio has now subsided but during the event, more than 10 crews in Ohio measured high flows in Ohio. Visit the USGS website for current conditions of rivers and streams in the state of Ohio.

The Northeastern states

On Friday, March 2, a powerful nor’easter struck the Mid-Atlantic and New England states for the second time this winter, similar to a storm that caused record-breaking flooding in parts of the region in January. With strong winds and high waves, a major nor’easter can lead to flooding equivalent to or greater than a hurricane’s effect.  

Sal Amador, a USGS hydrologic technician, flags a high-water mark on a utility pole in Boston, Massachusetts. Photo by Christopher Bruet, USGS. (Public domain.)

USGS field crews deployed over 50 storm-tide and wave sensors from Maine to Delaware the day before the March 2 storm made landfall. The sensors are part of a relatively new USGS mobile network of instruments, designed for rapid deployment in the path of an oncoming storm, called the Surge, Wave, and Tide Hydrodynamics Network, or SWaTH Network. They continuously measure wave height and tide levels and provide information on the timing, duration, and extent of storm-tide flooding. Data are collected four times per second, providing a detailed picture of the storm.

Scientists went back to recover the sensors on March 5 and 6, as soon as it was safe to do so after the storm. All data from the sensors will be available via the USGS Flood Event Viewer later this week, and over the coming weeks USGS scientists will closely analyze the information.  

USGS research teams also spread out along the coast from Maine to Connecticut starting on March 4, to document the storm-tide flooding by flagging and surveying high-water marks, which are debris and dirt lines that reveal how high the flood waters reached. The teams’ first priority was to visit locations where high-water marks were found after a record-breaking blizzard that struck the region in 1978, and high-water mark locations from the January 2018 nor’easter, so the effects of those three significant storms can be carefully compared. Time was of the essence, since the winter storm of March 7 could wipe away the high-water marks.

The information gathered from the sensors and high-water marks will help officials understand coastal storms, prepare for their impacts, and ultimately build more resilient communities. Real-world data on a variety of storms and tracks allow for more precise and informed forecasts for future scenarios.

In southeast New York, USGS’ network of permanent real-time tide gauges recorded high water levels that persisted through six full cycles of high and low tides before gradually receding, with minor to moderate flooding recorded at 16 different gauges. Water levels reached major flood heights at one location, the Hudson Bay at Freeport, New York. That state’s crews were also out in the field collecting high-water marks and retrieving storm-tide and wave sensors soon after the high waters receded, and information about the New York coastal flooding is also available on the  USGS Flood Event Viewer.

Looking Toward the Future

Though flooding in the affected states has largely subsided, the USGS will continue to monitor stream conditions and use data collected to prepare for future disasters. For up-to-date info on conditions in your area visit the USGS WaterWatch website. Sign up for high-water alerts at the USGS WaterAlert website.

The USGS Coastal Change Hazards Portal provides forecasts on the potential for beach erosion, overwash and inundation during hurricanes and other severe coastal storms.

Real-time, six-hour forecasts of storm-induced total water levels and potential coastal changes can be found through the USGS Total Water Level Viewer.

The USGS also operates a network of permanent tide gauges that provide real-time information through the National Water Information System. These gauges supplement NOAA's long-term network of gauges.

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U.S. Geological Survey scientists will conduct a high-resolution airborne survey to study the geology under a region of the central Upper Peninsula, Michigan, until as late as July, 2018. The data will help USGS researchers improve their understanding of geology, including buried rock types and faults, in the region.

As part of this research, a low-flying airplane under contract to the USGS through EON Geosciences will be used. The aircraft will be operated by experienced pilots who are specially trained and approved for low-level flying. All flights are coordinated with the Federal Aviation Administration to ensure accordance with United States law.

“This study will help the USGS and partnered scientists understand the region’s fundamental geology and tectonic history in much greater detail than is currently known,” said USGS scientist Benjamin Drenth, a Denver-based researcher leading the survey.

The airplane will carry instruments to measure variations in the earth's magnetic field. Because different rock types vary in content of magnetic minerals, the resulting maps allow visualization of the geologic structure below the surface. The instruments carried on the aircraft only make passive measurements, and thus pose no health risk to humans or animals.

This survey will be flown in a grid pattern. North-south lines will be flown approximately 500 feet apart at elevations from 250-1000 feet above the ground, and one mile apart in an east-west direction. All survey flights will occur during daylight hours.

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In 2014-2016, the USGS and partners sampled study wells in northeast, northwest and central Minnesota—areas that commonly have elevated arsenic concentrations in well water—and examined the effects of various water-sampling methods for each of the wells. The researchers found that arsenic levels were most reliable when they were filtered, collected from household plumbing instead of from the drill rig pump or collected several months after well construction and installation.

“Improving the reliability of arsenic tests can help protect the health of people who drink well water in Minnesota by ensuring that residents receive the best possible information about the quality of their water,” said Melinda Erickson, a USGS hydrologist and the lead author of the study.

Chronic exposure to high levels of naturally occurring arsenic through drinking water is a human health hazard that can cause certain cancers, skin abnormalities and other adverse health effects. Minnesota state code requires that all new potable drinking wells be tested for arsenic. However, the code does not specify how to best collect samples for testing, and test results can vary depending on which sampling methods are used.

Particles and fine sediments within well water samples can result in inconsistent arsenic concentration measurements. The new study found that reducing the amount of sediments in water samples used for testing can improve the precision and consistency of arsenic measurements for private wells.

“Establishing guidance for drillers that includes specific sampling protocols for the filtration of water samples and/or collection of samples from household plumbing would improve the reliability of information provided to well owners because those samples have less undesirable sediment,” Erickson said.

Public water supplies are regulated by the U.S. EPA, but maintenance, testing and treatment of private water supplies are the sole responsibility of the homeowner. The maximum arsenic level allowed for public water supplies is 10 micrograms of arsenic per liter. In Minnesota, arsenic concentrations exceed 10 micrograms of arsenic per liter in about 11 percent of newly constructed private wells, and in certain counties, more than 35 percent of tested wells exceed the benchmark. 

The USGS partnered with the Minnesota Department of Health on the new study, which is published in the journal Groundwater. The research was funded by the State of Minnesota Clean Water Fund through the Minnesota Department of Health and the USGS Cooperative Matching Fund. The work was also supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program and an internship provided through the Graduate Research Internship Program.

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Landsat satellites captured this image of Lake Erie during a harmful algal bloom event. (Credit: USGS/NASA)

As part of the monitoring program, USGS scientists collected samples and used state-of-the-art sensors to gather water-quality data for 30 major Great Lakes tributaries during 2011 through 2013. Using sophisticated scientific models to analyze the data, scientists were able to more accurately estimate the amounts, or loads, of sediment and nutrients entering the Great Lakes from tributaries than by using traditional techniques. The program is highlighted in a new USGS publication.

“The approach we developed as part of the USGS water monitoring program provides an enhanced understanding of short-term variability and long-term changes in the quality of water from tributaries,” said Dale Robertson, a USGS scientist and the lead author of the report. “Understanding inputs from these rivers is important because they can affect the environmental health of the Great Lakes.”

Scientists collected and processed water-quality information from tributaries located in a wide range of land-use settings. Water-quality information included water flow; concentrations of total phosphorus, total nitrogen and suspended sediment; and data from sensors, such as turbidity.

“Taken together, the water-quality and input information from these rivers provide a broader and more accurate picture of how water from tributaries influences the environmental health of the Great Lakes, which are a multi-billion dollar per year resource,” Robertson said.

Due to the new methodology, the annual load estimates resulting from this water-quality monitoring effort may be different from previously released estimates by the USGS and other entities, according to Jon Hortness, the USGS Great Lakes Program Coordinator. 

The USGS Great Lakes tributary monitoring program can help evaluate the overall effects of Great Lakes Restoration Initiative management efforts.

The USGS monitoring program, its new scientific modeling approach and its water-quality estimates for 2011­ through 2013 are published in the Journal of Great Lakes Research.

For more information about USGS water studies in the Great Lakes and Midwest, please visit the USGS Upper Midwest Water Science Center or the USGS Great Lakes Restoration Initiative websites.

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Low water levels in White Bear Lake, Minnesota.(Credit: Perry Jones, USGS. Public domain.)

Scientists with the USGS and partners studied groundwater and lake-water exchanges in White Bear Lake, Big Marine Lake, Lake Elmo and Snail Lake during 2003 through 2013, a period of increasing urbanization and declining water levels for some lakes in northeast Twin Cities metropolitan area. They found that long-term declines in lake-water levels can be caused by increasing groundwater withdrawals or decreases in precipitation, and that increases in groundwater withdrawals during dry periods exacerbate water-level declines.

“Our study helps explain changes in water levels in several lakes in the northeast metropolitan area that were recently below normal, such as White Bear Lake,” said Perry Jones, a USGS scientist and lead author of the report. “Results from the study also allow managers to assess the long-term effects of groundwater withdrawals on lake water levels, especially during drought.”

Previous USGS studies showed, and the new study confirms, that lake water seeps into underlying aquifers in the northeast metro area. For the new study, the scientists developed a groundwater-flow model to examine how significantly this seepage affects long-term water levels in the four lakes.

The model showed that closed-basin lakes, which are lakes not connected to other lakes and streams such as White Bear Lake, Big Marine Lake and Snail Lake, might be more vulnerable to changes in precipitation and groundwater withdrawals. Specific findings include:

The effect of groundwater withdrawals on closed-basin lakes depended on how permeable sediments are near and under the lakes, the number of wells and pumping rates near the lakes and the wells’ depths as compared to lake depths; and A 30 percent increase over current groundwater withdrawals would affect Snail Lake and White Bear Lake water levels more than Big Marine Lake levels, because current groundwater withdrawals near Big Marine Lake are relatively low.

The study also showed that evaporation from lake surfaces and flow of lake water to underlying aquifers are the largest losses of water from the four lakes. According to the model:

Evaporation and lake-water flow to underlying aquifers accounted for 97 to 100 percent of water losses in White Bear, Big Marine and Snail lakes; These factors accounted for 65 percent of lake-water losses for Lake Elmo; White Bear Lake and Lake Elmo, the deeper lakes, lost more water to underlying aquifers than to evaporation, whereas Big Marine Lake, a large lake, lost more water to evaporation; and Snail Lake is a small, shallow lake that lost more water to underlying aquifers than to evaporation.

“Based on our findings, many Twin Cities lakes should be considered water sources to aquifers, as well as to numerous wells withdrawing water from the aquifers,” Jones said.

The USGS partnered with the Metropolitan Council and the Minnesota Department of Health on the new study, which was directed by the Minnesota Legislature.

For more information about water research in Minnesota, please visit the USGS Minnesota Water Science Center website.

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https://www.usgs.gov/news/groundwater-pumping-precipitation-can-affect-lake-levels-twin-cities

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Intense rainfall over a period of multiple days has caused major flooding, resulting in multiple water rescues throughout the Newark area.

Five USGS crews are measuring high flows and verifying streamgage operations on the Licking, Blanchard, Big Walnut, Sandusky, Portage, Paint and Ottawa River basins. Preliminary data show the measurement made today on the Sandusky River near Fremont was the highest in 40 years. USGS crews are making special flood measurements on the South Fork Licking River near Buckeye Lake, as floodwaters have closed Interstate 70. This information is critical for emergency managers to make informed decisions on when to re-open roads to best keep the public safe.

Two USGS streamgages have been impacted by the floodwater and debris, and crews have already repaired one of the gages. The other will be repaired once it is safe to do so. All other streamgages are fully operational and have not been impacted by the flood at this time.

USGS crews will keep tracking the movement of the floodwaters as rains continue and the water moves downstream. This information is vital for resource managers and emergency responders to help protect life and property. The USGS has coordinated efforts with the Army Corps of Engineers, the National Weather Service, the Ohio Water Development Authority, Licking County, the Cities of Newark, Findlay, Ottawa and Kalida and several other local and state partners.

There are about 290 USGS-operated streamgages in Ohio that measure water levels, streamflow and rainfall. When flooding occurs, USGS crews make numerous discharge measurements to verify the data USGS provides to federal, state and local agencies, as well as to the public.

For more than 125 years, the USGS has monitored flow in selected streams and rivers across the United States. The information is routinely used for water supply and management, monitoring floods and droughts, bridge and road design, determination of flood risk, and for many recreational activities.

Access current flood and high flow conditions across the country by visiting the USGS WaterWatch website. Receive instant, customized updates about water conditions in your area via text message or email by signing up for USGS WaterAlert. See where floodwaters go by following a stream trace at Streamer. View water data on your mobile device. Learn how a USGS streamgage works

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https://www.usgs.gov/news/usgs-crews-measure-heavy-flooding-ohio-0

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The goal of the dye study is to understand how well water mixes within the lock chamber, to quantify the amount of leakage into and out of the lock through the gates, and to determine how quickly the dye becomes diluted downstream once released from the lock. Such information is used by federal, state, and local agencies for various engineering applications.

The red dye—known as Rhodamine WT—will be injected into the filling system of the auxiliary lock and may be visible for about a mile downstream along the Iowa shoreline. More dye will be added periodically throughout the day. Rhodamine WT, which has been used in hydrologic studies for decades, is approved for use as a water tracer by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and is harmless to people, fish, and plants at the concentration being used for this study. No impact to boats in the river is expected during or after the dye injection. During the study, dye concentrations will be measured at several points in the lock chamber and downstream of the lock by bank and boat-mounted equipment.

Researchers will measure the distribution of the dye in the auxiliary lock and map the dyed water downstream after the dyed water in the lock is released. This study is not expected to impact the operation of the main lock at Locks and Dam 14 or cause any navigation delays in the area.

 

Image of a red dye study conducted in the Brandon Road Lock on the Des Plaines River near Joliet, Illinois, in 2015. The upcoming study near Pleasant Valley, Iowa is anticipated to look similar. (Credit: USGS. Public domain.)

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Water Monitoring Fact Sheets for Spring seasons in 2014, 2015, and 2016 are available at http://lakeerie.ohio.gov/

A map at http://arcg.is/21i9CUF shows the locations of sites and users can access daily mean loads and concentrations data by clicking on each site. 

 

(Public domain.)

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https://www.usgs.gov/center-news/western-lake-erie-tributary-water-monitoring-summary

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The United States Geological Survey (USGS) operates a network of real-time streamgages that continually record stage and streamflow every 15 to 60 minutes. Streamflow information from streamgages have a wide variety of uses, including flood prediction, water management and allocation, engineering design, scientific research, and recreation.  Streamgage data are available online through the National Water Information System (NWIS) and USGS WaterWatch Web sites. 

NWIS Michigan          NWIS Ohio          USGS WaterWatch

Our most recently added real-time sites in Michigan:

04044003 Dead River at Marquette, MI

04044755 Miners River near Munising, MI  

04097528 Prairie River at Orland Road near Bronson, MI

04122001 Muskegon River at Bridge Street at Newaygo, MI

04122025 Muskegon River at Bridgeton, MI

04127200 Boardman River at Beitner Road near Traverse City, MI

04166700 Johnson Creek at 7 Mile Road at Northville, MI 

Our most recently added real-time sites in Ohio:

03118050 East Branch Nimishillen Creek at Louisville, OH

03118131 East Branch Nimishillen Creek at Trump Ave near Canton, OH

03118209 West Branch Nimishillen Creek at North Canton, OH

03118258 Zimber Ditch at North Canton, OH

03118299 West Branch Nimishillen Creek at Tuscarawas Street at Canton, OH

405536081192600 Precipitation gage near Hartville, OH

03131898 Clear Fork Reservoir near Lexington, OH

03131982 Clear Fork Mohican River at Bellville, OH

03138791 Little Killbuck Creek near Burbank, OH

04201400 West Branch Rocky River at West View, OH

04201404 Baker Creek at Olmstead Falls, OH

04201409 Unnamed Tributary to West Branch Rocky River near Berea, OH

04201423 Plum Creek near Olmsted Falls, OH

04201429 Unnamed Tributary to West Branch Rocky River near Olmsted Falls, OH

04201484 East Branch Rocky River near Strongsville, OH

04201495 Baldwin Creek at Strongsville, OH

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https://www.usgs.gov/center-news/new-real-time-streamgage-reservoir-and-precipitation-sites

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Potash is produced in only 13 countries, making it one of the most tightly controlled commodities in the world. 

The deposit is estimated to be worth $65 billion, which could make it a major source of revenue for the State of Michigan.
“If we didn’t have the data preservation program, no one would have known the deposits were here,” said John Yellich, a geologist and the director of the Michigan Geological Survey. 

The program Yellich references is the National Geological and Geophysical Data Preservation Program (NGGDPP). Enacted by Congress in 2005, the program was created to promote the archiving and cataloging of geological samples and data in the United States, most of which were acquired during oil, gas, and mineral exploration. Preservation of these materials and data promotes further research and the discovery of valuable resources. 

William Harrison of Western Michigan University holds a potash core sample. Photograph credit: Mike Lanka, Western Michigan University(Public domain.)

Run by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the program provides funds to State geological agencies to help them preserve and inventory their geological samples and data. This includes digitally cataloging and describing these data and materials into the National Digital Catalog, a centralized database managed by the NGGDPP that is accessible to the public. 

“Basically, the database reveals to geologists, researchers, and government agencies where natural resources such as minerals, oil, gas, and fossils could be located,” said Natalie Latysh, associate program coordinator for the USGS’s NGGDPP. 

“Not everyone has $4 million dollars to drill a well to determine what is in the ground,” she said. “Instead, the database can be used to inform users of previous work, including the existence and location of important resources.” 

In 2008, Dr. William Harrison, a professor and the director of Western Michigan University’s Michigan Geological Repository for Research and Education (MGRRE), received a call from a potash mining company in Hersey, Michigan, offering to donate rock cores of potash extracted during the 1980s. 

The company was preparing to shut-down and could no longer store the 4,000 boxes of core samples. MGRRE houses a comprehensive collection of Michigan’s rock cores and samples and maintains extensive online databases.

Funding from the USGS’s NGGDDP enabled MGRRE to acquire the potash cores and begin compiling the data and logging them into the National Digital Catalog. Annually, NGGDPP funds are awarded to States for proposed preservation projects, like this one, through a competitive grant process.

“USGS’s funding was the impetus for making [those] data available so that the industry could become aware of the potash deposit,” Yellich said.

Access to the national catalog alerted mining companies and investors about the collection of samples. 

One company in particular, Michigan Potash, teamed up with MGRRE in 2013 to analyze the cores and confirm, through chemical tests, the amount of potassium contained in the potash samples. Analysis revealed the richest grade of potash ever produced globally, even richer than deposits produced in Canada and Russia. 

“Because of the core samples, we were able to get a geological picture of what was down beneath the surface,” Yellich said. 

The mineral deposit composes the Borgen Bed, which lies under 14,500 acres in Mecosta and Osceola Counties in western Michigan. Michigan Potash is working on breaking ground in 2017 on a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. 

“This discovery benefits agriculture, resource development, and the economy in Michigan and beyond, which would have been much more difficult to realize, if at all, were it not for the NGGDPP,” Yellich said.

Potash contains a key plant nutrient, which makes it an important resource for the production of agricultural fertilizer. Photograph credit: Pk Cascio, USGS(Public domain.)

For more information, contact Kevin Gallagher, USGS Associate Director for Core Science Systems, at kgallagher@usgs.gov.

Read more stories about USGS science in action.

Click here for the print version.

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https://www.usgs.gov/news/mineral-discovery-could-mean-billions-michigan

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The value of the nonfuel mineral industry in each of the 50 states for 2016. (Public domain.)

Every year, the USGS National Minerals Information Center releases its Mineral Commodity Summaries, a resource roundup of 90 different mineral commodities that includes a snapshot of the global industry, worldwide reserves and production, and information on how these minerals are used.

Also included is an analysis of the domestic mineral industry of the United States, along with summaries of state mineral production. So today, we thought we would share the top five mineral-producing states by value from 2016.

A banded iron formation in the Precambrian of Minnesota. Image by James St. John - Jaspilite banded iron formation (Soudan Iron-Formation, Neoarchean, ~2.69 Ga; Stuntz Bay Road outcrop, Soudan Underground State Park, Soudan, Minnesota, USA) 16, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41615999(Public domain.)

Number 5: Minnesota

First up is the Land of 10,000 Lakes at number five. Minnesota slipped a place this year, falling from fourth overall in 2015. Iron ore is the primary mineral commodity by value in Minnesota, which leads the country in iron ore production.

Mineral Industry Value: $3.27 billion Percent of U.S. Total Value: 4.38 Principal minerals in order of value: Iron ore, sand and gravel (construction), sand and gravel (industrial), stone (crushed), stone (dimension). The Rio Tinto Borax Mine pit in California, a significant source of the mineral form of boron. Image by Marcin Wichary - Flickr: [1], CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23193363
(Public domain.)

Number 4: California

California ranks number 4 overall, up two places from 2015. California’s unique contribution in the minerals world is boron, for which it is the only producing state in the United States. Considering that the United States and Turkey lead the world in boron production, California’s contribution is significant. Boron’s primary use, at least domestically, is in glass and ceramics, where it helps the glass or ceramic survive intense heat. For this reason it’s used a lot in glassware for baking and laboratory use.

Mineral Industry Value: $3.52 billion Percent of U.S. Total Value: 4.71 Principal minerals in order of value: Sand and gravel (construction), cement (portland), boron minerals, stone (crushed), soda ash. Granite is an igneous rock that is frequently used as a crushed stone building material. Credit: Alex Demas, USGS (Public domain.)

Number 3: Texas

Maintaining its place as the bronze medal winner of mineral production value is the Lone Star State. The vast majority of Texas’ mineral industry goes toward the construction of buildings, such as homes and offices. As one of the states with a high population growth over the past few years, Texas has kept pace by building new accommodations for its growing number of people.

Mineral Industry Value: $4.84 billion Percent of U.S. Total Value: 6.48 Principal minerals in order of value: Stone (crushed), cement (portland), sand and gravel (construction), sand and gravel (industrial), salt. A sample of native copper. Photograph credit: USGS (Public domain.)

Number 2: Arizona

Also holding its 2015 rank is Arizona, which takes the silver medal for mineral production value. Arizona leads the country in copper production and is one of the primary sources of molybdenum as well. In fact, Arizona’s molybdenum wealth is largely related to its copper wealth, as the molybdenum is recovered as a byproduct of the copper mining.

Mineral Industry Value: $5.56 billion Percent of U.S. Total Value: 7.45 Principal minerals in order of value: Copper, sand and gravel (construction), molybdenum concentrates, cement (portland), stone (crushed). A sample of native gold. Sample provided by Carlin Green, USGS. (Credit: Carlin Green, USGS. Public domain.)

Number 1: Nevada

And last, but certainly not least, the Silver State takes the gold medal for mineral production value in 2016, just as it did in 2015. Much of the value of Nevada’s mineral industry comes from its precious metal production, as it leads the Nation in gold mining. Much of the silver comes from the same mining operation as the gold, as does some of Nevada’s copper.

Mineral Industry Value: $7.65 billion Percent of U.S. Total Value: 10.26 Principal minerals in order of value: Gold, copper, sand and gravel (construction), stone (crushed), silver.

So there are the top five states for mineral production value for 2016! Check back next year to see who ranked in the top five for 2017. It’s likely that you’ll see familiar faces...but every now and again, there will be a surprise...

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https://www.usgs.gov/news/top-5-mineral-producing-states

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This image shows sea lampreys in their larvae phase. Slower sea lamprey growth rates during the larval phase of development may increase the odds of sea lampreys becoming male, according to a USGS study. Sea lampreys are an invasive, parasitic species of fish damaging the Great Lakes. (Credit: R. McDaniels, Great Lakes Fishery Commission)

Scientists with the USGS and Michigan State University, funded by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, found that slower sea lamprey growth rates during the larval phase of development may increase the odds of sea lampreys becoming male. During the study, environments lacking plentiful food were male-skewed, with 78 percent of sea lampreys becoming male after three years, whereas environments more conducive to growth produced only 56 percent males.

This discovery could be a critical step in developing advanced technologies to control sea lamprey.

“Remarkably, we didn’t set out to study sex determination in sea lampreys – we were planning to study environmental effects on growth rates only,” said Nick Johnson, a USGS scientist and the lead author of the study. “We were startled when we discovered that these data may also reveal how sex is determined because mechanisms of sex determination in lamprey are considered a holy grail for researchers.”

Sea lampreys are imperiled in Europe and the Pacific Northwest, where they are native, but are invasive and destructive in the North American Great Lakes. With their blood-sucking capability and gaping round mouths, sea lampreys feed on the blood and fluids of native fish, causing population declines in commercially and recreationally important species that are essential to the Great Lakes’ multi-billion dollar per year fishery.

USGS sea lamprey expert Nick Johnson demonstrates the ridge of tissue, called a rope, along the back of a mature male sea lamprey. (Credit: Andrea Miehls, USGS.)

Between 2005 and 2007, the scientists tagged and released sea lamprey larvae into unproductive lakes and productive streams. These environments included tributaries of Lakes Huron and Michigan and areas of those lakes near stream mouths. The researchers then recaptured the tagged fish as adults during their spawning migrations.

The sex ratios in productive and unproductive environments were initially similar but quickly diverged, with unproductive lakes becoming increasingly male-dominated. Once the larvae changed into their parasitic adult stage, their sex did not shift, and their survival rates generally did not differ between productive versus unproductive environments.

“The results of this study could be a critical step toward developing advanced technologies to control sea lampreys in the Great Lakes, which have caused unparalleled damage to fisheries,” said David Ullrich, chair of the GLFC. “Although sea lamprey populations have been reduced by 90 percent, innovation will be key to maintaining strong control into the future. The results of this study could open paths forward to novel technologies that can disrupt or modify gender in sea lampreys, providing the commission with other means to control this noxious predator.”

Invasive sea lamprey prey on commercially important fish species, living off of the blood and body fluids of adult fish. (Credit: Marisa Lubeck, USGS.)

Some sea lamprey populations have skewed sex ratios, but the reasons why have remained a biological mystery for decades. The new study, with its unanticipated sex determination findings, begins to answer a scientific question that has previously eluded researchers.

This study, "Indication that sex determination in sea lamprey is influenced by larval growth rate," is published in the journal Royal Society Proceedings B.

For more information about sea lamprey research in the Great Lakes, please visit the USGS Great Lakes Science Center website and the GLFC website.

 

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https://www.usgs.gov/news/sex-shifting-fish-growth-rate-could-determine-sea-lamprey-sex

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The health of the environment is a research priority for the U.S. Geological Survey, and some of the recent highlights of that research will be on display at the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry’s 2016 North American conference this Fall. For reporters interested in attending these presentations at the conference, or for following up with the scientists who did the research, please call or email Alex Demas at 703-648-4421 or apdemas@usgs.gov.

Maintaining the Aquatic Food Web

The largest subject area that USGS will have presentations and posters in is studies on the health of aquatic organisms, such as aquatic invertebrates. Although not as charismatic, aquatic invertebrates serve an essential function in the food web, and are often on the front lines of exposure to contaminants.

Some of those contaminants come from mine waste or drainage. Often these are metals, and they can have significant toxic effects on aquatic invertebrates. USGS is presenting studies that look at the effects of these metals on caged and wild crayfish, mussels, aquatic insects like caddisflies, and amphipods, which are tiny invertebrates that are an important food source for many other animals.

When one part of the food web is affected, it can ripple throughout the entire ecosystem. Thus, studies of the entire food web are important to show the true effects a contaminant can have. In one such example, USGS is presenting a study on how the insecticide bifenthrin can have significant impacts on aquatic food webs and even affect nearby land-based food webs.

Moving up the food web, USGS has studies on frog species’ exposure to the neonicotinoid insecticides clothianidin and thiamethoxam, as well as a study on the effects of the herbicide atrazine on fathead minnows. Although each of these species is not the target of the pesticide in question, they can still be affected, either through bioaccumulation in the food the species eat or exposure in the environment.

In the same vein of unintended consequences, natural disasters can have longer-reaching effects than the initial destruction they’re known for. USGS will be presenting studies on organic pollutants spread by Hurricane Sandy and their effects on bluefish and resident mussels.

And finally, USGS plays an important role in the methodologies that go into studying the health of aquatic organisms. Strategies to address endocrine disruption in Chesapeake Bay fish and wildlife; the chronic toxicity of various chemicals to freshwater mussels; and the role of mesocosms in studying aquatic life are three presentations that USGS has on environmental health methodology.

The Science of Spills in Streams

In addition to studying the organisms that live in aquatic environments, USGS studies the health of the aquatic environments themselves. For instance, in addition to studying the actual effects of pesticides on aquatic organisms, USGS scientists study how the pesticides can reach the aquatic organisms in the first place.

This year, USGS has presentations on how an additive to the popular pesticide glyphosate can spread in the environment; what the effects of various pesticide mixtures are in Midwestern streams; and what levels of neonicotinoid insecticides are in certain agricultural and urban streams throughout the United States.

In addition, USGS looks at unintended spills of various chemicals, with presentations on diluted bitumen spills in the Kalamazoo River and the residual toxicity of NaOH-based ballast water treatment system for freshwater bulk freighters. Also, USGS has a presentation on what can happen to sediment toxicity during a dam’s removal.

Finally, just as with the aquatic organisms, USGS has valuable studies on how to research the health of aquatic environments. In addition to the well-established EPA MDL procedure, USGS examines how to estimate detection levels for multi-analyte methods, which is important for determining contaminant levels in streams. Also, USGS has taken a look at the use of the tool ToxCast to evaluate organic contaminant effects in Great Lakes Tributaries and whether or not reducing the amount of sulfate can mitigate the production of methylmercury in the Great Lakes.

Taking to the Sky

Aquatic organisms aren’t the only ones USGS studies. This year, there are a number of papers and posters that look at the health of birds, namely what chemicals and contaminants they’re exposed to and the effects they may experience.

Tree swallows received the most attention, with USGS and EPA looking at the distribution and effects of legacy contaminants on egg and nestling survival in Great Lakes Areas of Concern, as well as whether the swallows are appropriate bioindicators for other toxicants. In addition, they were also used to assess how effective various remedies were in those Areas of Concern.

Birds of prey were also studied, because their position at the higher end of the foodweb means they can be exposed to significant bioaccumulation of various contaminants. However, USGS research on ospreys showed that, at least in the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays, they largely have a clean bill of health.  Two other studies looked at American kestrels and what happens when they are exposed to persistent organic pollutants or priority flame retardants while developing in eggs.

The Science of Environmental Chemistry

Finally, USGS has several presentations about the science of environmental chemistry, including one on environmental chemistry perspectives from around the world. And, before the conference officially begins, USGS is giving a workshop on exploratory data analysis and plotting data with ggplot2 in R.

The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry’s 2016 North American conference runs from November 6-10 in Orlando, Fla.

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https://www.usgs.gov/news/orlando-usgs-science-health-environment-display

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The physical setting of lakes, which includes underlying geology, elevation and surrounding land use, is the most significant driver of lake-level changes in the Twin Cities, according to a U.S. Geological Survey study published today. 

Scientists with the USGS analyzed 96 lakes in the northeast metropolitan area of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, to determine why water levels recently declined in some, including White Bear Lake, yet increased in others. They found that not all lakes in the area respond similarly to weather and groundwater pumping, and White Bear Lake is especially sensitive to lake-level changes because of its unique deep-water outlets.

"Water-level changes in White Bear Lake have been the largest of the northeast metro lakes monitored since 1925," said Perry Jones, a USGS scientist and lead author of the report. "Our study showed that water is flowing out of the lake at deeper depths, and this may be contributing to larger water-level changes."

The scientists studied lake levels during short-term (2002–2010) and long-term (1925–2014) periods, and compared them to landscape and geologic characteristics, climatic factors and local groundwater withdrawals. The study found that:

Closed-basin lakes, or those lacking an outlet like White Bear Lake, had more significant lake-level declines than flow-through lakes with an outlet; When closed-basin lake levels increased or decreased, groundwater levels reflected those changes; Water levels in flow-through lakes varied more when annual precipitation fluctuated; Lake-level declines were larger in higher-elevation areas; and The installation of water-flow control structures, such as culverts and weirs, helped moderate multiyear lake-level changes.

The study also showed that groundwater enters White Bear Lake from shallow sites near the shore, and leaves from deep-water sites at the bottom of the lake. When water flows out from these deep sites, it flows into aquifers beneath White Bear Lake. These deep-water outflows are uncommon in Minnesota lakes, and make the lake uniquely sensitive to water-level declines.

The USGS partnered with the Metropolitan Council and the Minnesota Department of Health on the new study.

For more information about water research in Minnesota, please visit the USGS Minnesota Water Science Center website.

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https://www.usgs.gov/news/water-level-changes-northeast-twin-cities-lakes-vary-landscape-setting

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An international team of scientists led by the U.S. Geological Survey, recently documented widespread mercury contamination in air, soil, sediment, plants, fish, and wildlife at various levels across western North America. They evaluated potential risk from mercury to human, fish, and wildlife health, and examined resource management activities that influence this risk.

Wetland habitats, such as the Great Salt Lake wetlands, provide critical feeding areas for many fish and wildlife species.Collin Eagles-Smith, USGSPublic domain

“Mercury is widespread in the environment, and under certain conditions poses a substantial threat to environmental health and natural resource conservation,” said Collin Eagles-Smith, USGS ecologist and team lead. “We gathered decades of mercury data and research from across the West to examine patterns of mercury and methylmercury in numerous components of the western landscape. This effort takes an integrated look at where mercury occurs in western North America, how it moves through the environment, and the processes that influence its movement and transfer to aquatic food chains.”

More than 80 percent of fish consumption advisories posted in the United States and Canada are wholly or partially because of mercury.  Fish consumption provides many health benefits to people, but the presence of mercury at high concentrations in fish can reduce some of those benefits. Balancing the protection of human health from mercury while also communicating health benefits associated with fish consumption requires detailed information about the distribution of mercury among fish species and across various aquatic systems.

Vegetation patterns affect both soil moisture and the amount of sunlight that reaches the soil, two factors associated with mercury release from soils. USFWS photo.

“The movement of mercury through the western landscape - traveling between the air, ground, and water to plants, animals, and ultimately humans, is extremely complex,” said Eagles-Smith. “This series of articles helps further our understanding of the processes associated with that complexity in western North America, highlights where knowledge gaps still exist, and provides information to resource managers that will help with making informed, science-based management and regulatory decisions.”

Effective management of environmental health risks associated with mercury goes beyond controlling the sources, and could be improved by development of tools to control the production of methylmercury and its bioaccumulation through the food web, ultimately affecting animals and humans.

”This effort provides critical information on mercury pathways to humans and wildlife that government regulators, lawmakers, and the public can use to make decisions,” adds David Evers, Executive Director of Biodiversity Research Institute and co-organizer of the effort. “It builds upon the Northeastern and Great Lakes regional efforts that collected and analyzed environmental mercury data that were often separated by sample type.”

Densely forested areas, such as those found along the Oregon Coastal Range, collect substantial amounts of mercury because they receive high amounts of precipitation.  Used with permission from Kelly J. James Photography.

Key findings of the report include:

Methylmercury contamination in fish and birds is common in many areas throughout the West, and climate and land cover are some important factors influencing mercury contamination and availability to animals Fish and birds in many areas were found to have mercury concentrations above levels that have been associated with toxic effects Patterns of methylmercury exposure in fish and wildlife across the West differed from patterns of inorganic mercury on the landscape Some ecosystems and species are more sensitive to mercury contamination, and local environmental conditions are important factors influencing the creation and transfer of methylmercury through the food web Forest soils typically contain more inorganic mercury than soils in semi-arid environments, yet the highest levels of methylmercury in fish and wildlife occurred in semi-arid areas Vegetation patterns strongly influence the amount of mercury emitted to the atmosphere from soils Forested areas retain mercury from the atmosphere, whereas less vegetated areas tend to release mercury to the atmosphere Land disturbances, such as urban development, agriculture, and wildfires, are important factors in releasing inorganic mercury from the landscape, potentially making it available for biological uptake Land and water management activities can strongly influence how methylmercury is created and transferred to fish, wildlife, and humans

 

Mercury and Methylmercury

Mercury, also known by its chemical symbol Hg, is a naturally-occurring metal that can pose a threat to humans, fish, and wildlife when exposed to high levels of its most toxic form, methylmercury. Methylmercury is created from inorganic mercury in aquatic ecosystems by bacteria. This is a complex process that only occurs under the right conditions for the bacteria to thrive. Therefore, the movement of inorganic mercury from the atmosphere or land to the water does not always result in equivalent levels of methylmercury in fish and wildlife unless the environmental condition is favorable for methylmercury production.

Methylmercury is easily accumulated by fish, wildlife, and humans from their diet; primarily affecting the nervous and reproductive systems, and is particularly harmful during the developmental stages of life. It increases in concentration up the food chain, reaching its highest levels in predators and long-lived species. Because methylmercury readily accumulates through the food chain, exposure patterns in fish and wildlife reflect where local conditions favor the creation of methylmercury.  

 

The western landscape is defined by extremes in climate, land cover, and habitat type. 

Sources, Storage, Transport, and Re-release

In the West, the distribution of mercury is a reflection of the diversity of sources combined with a landscape defined by extremes in climate, land cover, and habitat type. These characteristics of the western landscape influence mercury storage, chemical transformation, and buildup through the food chain.

Mercury enters the landscape from the atmosphere, natural geologic sources, historic mining activities, and re-released mercury stored in vegetation and soils. Atmospheric mercury sources are primarily direct natural emissions, such as volcanic eruptions; direct man-made emissions, such as fossil fuel emissions; and re-release from plants and soils. Mercury from the atmosphere makes its way back to earth through precipitation, dust particles, or direct uptake by plants through their leaves.

Densely forested areas, such as those found along the Pacific coastal mountain ranges, collect substantial amounts of mercury because they receive high amounts of precipitation. The deposited mercury easily binds to vegetation and rich forest soils. Soil mercury concentrations in these forests are on average 2.5 times higher than those in dry semi-arid environments. Similarly, waterbodies located in these forests have among the highest concentrations of inorganic mercury in their sediments.

Mercury Released from Soils

Soil-bound mercury can also move in the opposite direction, from land to the atmosphere. Much of the mercury emitted from the soil is re-release from previously deposited or “old” mercury. The amount of mercury released from soils varies across the region and is dependent upon vegetation patterns, which are important because these patterns affect both soil moisture and the amount of sunlight that reaches the soil – two factors associated with mercury release from soils.

In drier regions with less plant cover, the amount of mercury deposited from the atmosphere is similar to the amount released from soils, suggesting that these areas do not store mercury. In contrast, densely forested areas receive several times more mercury through atmospheric deposition than what is re-emitted to the atmosphere. As a result, western forests tend to provide long-term storage for inorganic mercury whereas much of the mercury deposited across the vast areas of sparsely vegetated semi-arid lands throughout the West either returns back into the atmosphere or becomes available for transport to aquatic ecosystems.

Mercury Released from Wildfires

Wildfire is one of the largest sources of re-released soil mercury to the atmosphere. The amount of mercury released during a wildfire depends on the size of the burned area, the amount of mercury stored in plants and soil, and the severity of burning. High severity fires, or  fires that cause greater physical change in an area, release greater amounts of mercury than low severity fires because they burn more fuel and make the soil hotter. Although high severity fires release more stored mercury into the atmosphere, lower severity fires may leave behind mercury in soils in a form that can more easily be moved to aquatic ecosystems and converted to methylmercury. With the increasing rate and severity of wildfires in the West associated with a changing climate, there could be an increase in movement of mercury that has been stored for centuries.

Historical mining and ore processing used mercury to extract precious metals such as gold and silver, releasing extensive amounts of mercury into the environment. Malakoff Diggins, Nevada County, California. Hearst Mining Collection of Views. Used with Permission of the Bancroft Library, The University of California - Berkeley.

Legacy Mining in the West

The West has rich geologic deposits of naturally occurring mercury, as well as gold and silver, where mercury was historically used to extract these valuable elements from rock formations. Historical mining and ore processing for these metals released extensive amounts of mercury into the environment, contaminating lake and river sediments downstream of mining operations. As a result, many of the highest levels of sediment mercury concentrations across the West are associated with legacy gold, silver, and mercury mines. However, the influence of mining on downstream mercury concentrations is most noticeable in small watersheds, because the amount of mercury from mining in larger watersheds is a fraction of what is contributed by other sources and processes such as atmospheric deposition, land disturbance, and erosion of less contaminated soils.

Land Use and Development

Agriculture and urban land development are more widespread across the West than mining, and those land uses have a large influence on the amount of mercury released from soils. As a result, lakes receiving runoff from agricultural or urbanized watersheds show higher rates of mercury accumulation in their sediments than lakes in undisturbed areas. The accumulation rate of mercury in lake sediments, calculated from sediment cores dated from to 1800-2010,  showed the highest rate during the last decade (2000-2010) than at any time since the industrial revolution, and approximately five times higher than during pre-industrial times (1800 to 1850).

Wildfire is one of the largest sources of re-released mercury to the atmosphere and a component to the widespread movement of inorganic mercury to aquatic sediments.Public domain

Landscape disturbance; such as wildfire, resource extraction, and land development, is a major component to the widespread movement of inorganic mercury to aquatic sediment throughout waterbodies of the West. However, mercury levels in fish and wildlife do not always match the levels of inorganic mercury because of the requirement for inorganic mercury to be converted to methylmercury before accumulating up the food chain.

“Methylmercury production is a complex microbial process that requires specific environmental conditions,” said Mark Marvin-DiPasquale, USGS microbiologist and co-organizer of the synthesis. “Only a small amount of the inorganic mercury is available to be made into methylmercury by bacteria, and under the right conditions even this small amount can result in methylmercury levels that pose a threat to fish, aquatic birds, and human health.”

As a result, sediment inorganic mercury concentrations alone often do not accurately indicate how much mercury makes its way into the animals living in the associated environment and ultimately, humans who may consume those animals.

 

Fish are indicators of methylmercury contamination because they are an important link in the food chain for both wildlife and humans.  USFS photo.

Managing Mercury Risk to Wildlife and Humans

Western North America supports many fish and wildlife communities, several of which are threatened by habitat loss or other factors, including exposure to methylmercury. Fish are indicators of methylmercury contamination because they are an important link in the food chain for both wildlife and humans. Fish and wildlife also are indicators of methylmercury availability over many months to years in the food chain. Mercury contamination of fish and birds is widespread across the West, but the patterns of exposure do not fully match patterns of inorganic mercury distribution in soils and sediments. Although the highest levels of inorganic mercury in soil are found in forested areas, the highest levels of methylmercury in fish and wildlife tend to occur in more arid regions of the West such as the Great Basin. Many existing guidelines and regulations around mercury focus on inorganic mercury in soils and sediments. The combination of inorganic mercury movement, methylmercury creation, and how long mercury stays in the food chain are some of the challenges to managing methylmercury risk to animals and humans.

More than half of the land, lakes, rivers, streams, and wetlands in the West are publically owned or managed, much by the federal government. Natural resource management for both conservation and resource extraction can have a particularly strong influence on how mercury is transported over land, through water, and transferred to fish, wildlife, and humans.

Water and its management is a defining characteristic of the western landscape. It is among the continent’s most complex and widespread resource management challenges and has greatly influenced land use, development, and natural resource conservation. The need to store and transport water for shared ecological, agricultural, and human needs has resulted in complex networks of dams and man-made waterways that have transformed the western landscape and dramatically changed the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of river systems, and in some cases influenced the movement of mercury through these systems.

Wetlands, lakes, and rivers can all promote the creation of methylmercury, and seasonal flow and flood patterns of the West result in numerous locations where methylmercury can be created. These habitats are also often important environments that are critical feeding areas for many fish and wildlife species. Management of water flows and storage throughout the West can influence methylmercury creation in these aquatic habitats and can have a strong impact on the degree of mercury exposure throughout local food webs.

Management of water flows and storage through structures such as Foster Dam in Oregon can influence methylmercury creation in aquatic habitats. USACE image.

"We found mercury contamination of birds was common in many areas throughout western North America, some at levels above what is considered toxic to birds,” said Josh Ackerman, USGS wildlife biologist and lead author of one of the articles on bird mercury exposure. “Certain ecological characteristics, such as the type of habitat the birds live in, and their diet were important factors influencing bird mercury concentrations and their risk to mercury toxicity."

This body of work was conducted as part of the Western North America Mercury Synthesis Working Group and supported by the USGS John Wesley Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis. The Working Group is comprised of partners from other U.S. and Canadian federal, state, and provincial agencies, as well as academic institutions and non-governmental organizations. Primary funding support was provided by the USGS, National Park Service, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, with additional support from the individual authors’ organizations.

Findings are found in a 2016 special issue of Science of The Total Environment:  Mercury in Western North America—Spatiotemporal Patterns, Biogeochemistry, Bioaccumulation, and Risks

 

More Information:

Special Issue

USGS Environmental Health Science Feature

University of Michigan News Release

Biodiversity Research Institute News Release

 

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https://www.usgs.gov/news/comprehensive-study-finds-widespread-mercury-contamination-across-western-north-america

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Photo of representatives from the Philippines Department of Public Works & Highways watching a remote USGS presentation.

USGS scientists Charles Dunning, Rob Waschbusch, Kevin Housel (Wisconsin Water Science Center), Marie Peppler (Office of Surface Water), Joe Nielson (Office of Water Information), and Verne Schneider (International Hydrological Programme) participated in a remote presentation to the Philippines Department of Public Works & Highways on Tuesday, July 19th. In collaboration with USAID, the Philippine government is in the process of converting their existing surface-water data system from paper to digital format, and is interested in the potential uses and capabilities of a digital water information system. The USGS presented information on our National Streamflow Information Program; collecting and communicating streamflow information; discharge measurement innovations; flood inundation mapping and flood-event data collection; and demonstrations of USGS water information systems such as NWIS, WaterWatch, and Flood Inundation Mapper. The Philippines, in turn, presented their National Hydrologic Data Collection Program.

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https://www.usgs.gov/center-news/usgs-participates-streamflow-data-learning-exchange-philippine-government

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A team of scientists from Canada and the United States coordinated by the International Joint Commission (IJC) has created binational datasets for the Red-Assiniboine River Basin to more precisely identify sources of phosphorus and nitrogen across the Basin. Using the data, the scientists determined that agricultural use of these nutrients is the primary source of inputs to the transboundary watershed.

The work will inform federal, provincial and state agencies in their efforts to improve water quality and address the eutrophication, or the excessive nutrient enrichment, of rivers and lakes in the region spanning portions of Manitoba, Minnesota, North Dakota and Saskatchewan.

Excessive phosphorus and nitrogen loads result in numerous harmful and undesirable impacts in many rivers and lakes across the Basin, in both Canada and the U.S. and downstream of the Red River in Lake Winnipeg. The resulting algal blooms have degraded aquatic food webs, negatively affected tourism and recreation through fouled beaches and infested nearshore zones, and threatened drinking water for coastal communities through release of algal toxins.

This marks the first binationally-focused SPARROW model, a watershed tool developed by the U.S. Geological Survey for interpreting water-quality monitoring information. It was applied using Canada-U.S. datasets to estimate loads and sources of phosphorus and nitrogen by watershed and by jurisdiction at a large scale. The research team has generated new information on the sources and transport of these nutrients that will guide efforts in both countries to reduce nutrients lost from the Basin. In particular, output from the model will help the IJC’s International Red River Board and International Souris River Board deliver on nutrient management strategies in their watersheds.

The innovations, developed by IJC scientist Glenn A. Benoy in collaboration with R. Wayne Jenkinson from the National Research Council Canada (NRC) and Dale M. Robertson and David A. Saad from the USGS, included the coordination of geospatial datasets from both countries. The researchers designed a contiguous stream network to estimate nutrient loading and transport, and used novel statistical techniques to accommodate limitations in spatial variability. Their research results were published in the Canadian Water Resources Journal, a peer-reviewed publication of the Canadian Water Resources Association.

The binational team consists of scientists from the IJC, an international body established by Canada and the U.S. to foster shared stewardship of transboundary waters; NRC, Canada’s premier research and technology organization; and the USGS, a federal scientific agency that studies the landscape of the U.S., its natural resources and the natural hazards that threaten it. This team is uniquely positioned to advance problem-solving tools, such as this SPARROW modeling work. Through its facilitation and coordination, the IJC will be able to transfer the tools, techniques and research relationships cultivated during the development of this model to water-quality concerns in other watersheds that straddle the Canada-U.S. border.

Results of the Red-Assiniboine River Basin SPARROW model developed as part of this study, including supporting datasets, can be accessed through an online SPARROW mapping tool.

For more information about binational SPARROW models, please visit the USGS SPARROW nutrient modeling website. 

Original Article

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https://www.usgs.gov/news/sources-excessive-nutrients-transboundary-red-assiniboine-river-basin-identified-binational

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New and updated daily water-quality advisories called nowcasts show whether bacteria levels in swimming areas at selected Lake Erie and Lake Ontario beaches are suitable for recreation.

This season, the Ohio Nowcast has a new look and format, and the New York Nowcast is easier to use than ever. Developed by the U.S. Geological Survey and partners, these interactive, mobile-friendly websites use maps of beach locations to indicate whether or not estimated bacteria levels exceed state safety standards. Rapid nowcast information is available for eight beaches and one river in Ohio and for 11 beaches in New York. 

“Nowcasts are similar to forecasts except they estimate current instead of future conditions,” said Amie Brady, a USGS hydrologist and coauthor of a recent nowcast study. “We estimate current bacteria levels using models that are calibrated for each beach, taking into account existing weather and environmental conditions.”

Older methods to determine levels of harmful bacteria, such as Escherichia coli (E. coli), take at least 18 hours to complete. During this period, E. coli levels may increase or decrease substantially depending on rainfall, light levels and other factors. As a result, beaches may be posted with incorrect advisories based on E. coli levels from the previous day. Nowcasts provide near real-time predictions for more accurate bacteria advisories.

“The new Ohio Nowcast is more interactive and easier to use than the old format because users can now click a beach on a map and obtain its water-quality information using their computer or mobile device,” said Brady. “The New York Nowcast has been offering this interactive format for several years, adding new beaches each year of its operation.”

Beach advisories or closings in the United States are issued when levels of bacterial indicators, such E. coli, exceed safety standards. E. coli is found in the intestines and feces of warm-blooded animals and can exist in sewage and waste. These indicators do not necessarily cause disease, but they signify the possible presence of disease-causing organisms. If the concentration of E. coli exceeds state standards, officials will advise visitors not to swim because of the risk of illness.

Scientists with the USGS and partners have been providing rapid predictions of bacteria levels at beaches through the Ohio Nowcast since 2006 and the New York Nowcast since 2012.

A full list of cooperators on the Ohio and New York Nowcasts is available in the USGS report.

For more information on water-quality research in Ohio and New York, please visit the USGS MI-OH Water Science Center and the USGS New York Water Science Center websites.

Original Article

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https://www.usgs.gov/news/science-based-tools-can-help-prevent-illness-ohio-and-new-york-beaches

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In a recent episode of Blue Sky Science, Faith Fitzpatrick (USGS) discussed how waterfalls are made and how long they last.

Blue Sky Science, a collaboration of the Wisconsin State Journal and the Morgridge Institute for Research, finds local experts to answer science-related questions submitted by the public at the University of Madison Discovery Building in Madison, Wis.

Original Article

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https://www.usgs.gov/center-news/how-are-waterfalls-made

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Caption below

Welcome to the New USGS.GOV

Our new user experience makes world-class USGS science, data, information, and products more easily accessible, available, and usable.

 

Just the tip of the iceberg…

Our transitional site includes the new usgs.gov and more than 180 top-level pages (Mission Areas, Programs, Regions, our three new Science Center websites, Products, Connect, About, etc.). We will migrate more USGS websites into this new experience; check back often to see our progress.

 

Enhancements include:

USER-CENTERED DESIGN

IMPROVED FUNCTIONALITY   

RESPONSIVE MOBILE-READY DESIGN     

INTUITIVE NAVIGATION        

FASTER, MORE ACCURATE SEARCH         

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User-centered Design

Behind the scenes, we’ve focused on visual design, usability, and information architecture so that we can provide you with the data and information you want when you want it.              

 

Improved Functionality           

Understanding our many users and what they need most motivated the new functionality. Consistent design, branding, and navigation come together to create the best possible experience.   

 

Responsive, Mobile-ready Design

More people than ever are using smartphones and tablets to surf the web. Whether you visit from a desktop or from your mobile browser, the new usgs.gov is designed to give you a clean, tailored experience.

 

Intuitive Navigation

By reducing clicks and increasing pathways to information, we’ve streamlined access to what matters most — our science, data, and information.

 

Faster, More Accurate Search

Getting you to what you want the first time is the ultimate goal. Our faster, more accurate search bridges the old and the new and puts the USGS at your fingertips.

 

Enhanced Science-driven Content

The brand new Science Explorer makes discovering USGS science easier (and more fun) than ever. Choose a topic — from biology and ecosystems to water — and see the full range of what we have to offer.     

 

Our First Three New Science Center Websites

Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center (NOROCK) at https://www.usgs.gov/centers/norock

Wetland and Aquatic Research Center (WARC) at https://www.usgs.gov/centers/wetland-and-aquatic-research-center-warc

Wisconsin Water Science Center at https://www.usgs.gov/centers/wisconsin-water-science-center

 

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No matter where you are on the new usgs.gov, sharing to your favorite social media platforms is only a click away.

 

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https://www.usgs.gov/news/welcome-new-usgsgov-0

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Citizens and stakeholders are invited to learn more about the recently completed Little Plover River Groundwater Model and Optimization Study at an informational meeting hosted by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources on April 12, 2016.  

Ken Bradbury, director and state geologist with UW-Extension’s Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey (WGNHS) and Michael Fienen, a research hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey’s Wisconsin Water Science Center, will present the results of their two-year study of the Little Plover River groundwater system.  DNR contracted for the study, which builds on the work of other hydrogeologists and existing stream and high capacity well data. The study uses state-of-the-art groundwater and optimization modeling software to simulate the Little Plover River groundwater and surface water flow system, said Dan Helsel, the DNR natural resources manager who coordinated the project for the department.  

“Stakeholders from all sides of the groundwater use issue recognize the expertise of Ken Bradbury and Michael Fienen,” Helsel said. “The model they have created represents the best available science and will help inform future management decisions.”

The principal investigators worked closely with a technical resource team composed of hydrogeologists representing the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association, the Central Sands Water Action Coalition, the River Alliance of Wisconsin and the village of Plover, among others. 

The study provides a science-based tool to evaluate different water management actions and their impact on the flow of the Little Plover River.  The methodology can be applied to study the impacts of multiple high capacity wells in other areas of the state.

“With the creation of this tool, DNR is positioned to work with stakeholders to evaluate and implement different scenarios that make meaningful changes to optimize a healthy river flow,” said Helsel. 

The informational meeting is being hosted by the DNR, Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey and the U.S. Geological Survey at the request of state Sens. Julie Lassa, Luther Olsen and Robert Cowles and Reps. Katrina Shankland, Scott Krug and Nancy VanderMeer. It will be held Tuesday, April 12 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Noel Fine Arts Center, Michelsen Hall, NFAC 270, 1800 Portage Street, UW-Stevens Point, Stevens Point, WI 54481.

(Excerpted from Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources News Release, April 5, 2016: DNR hosts public presentation of the Little Plover River Groundwater Model Study)

 

To learn more about this study, visit the WGNHS Little Plover project website.

Original Article

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https://www.usgs.gov/center-news/little-plover-groundwater-study-public-meeting

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View the recording of their plenary talk.

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https://www.usgs.gov/center-news/using-story-maps-communicate-usgs-science

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On Feb. 18, 2016, WI WSC scientist Austin Baldwin presented preliminary findings on microplastics in Great Lakes tributaries to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy's Subcommittee on Water Availability and Quality. This study sampled the quantity and particle types of floating microplastics in 29 tributaries in 6 states.

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https://www.usgs.gov/center-news/presenting-preliminary-microplastics-results-white-house

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WI WSC scientist Dave Krabbenhoft met with staff of the House Natural Resources Committee on Jan. 11, 2016, to discuss a new tool that can "fingerprint", or identify, Great Lakes mercury sources such as atmospheric, industrial, or watershed runoff. Determining where the mercury originates from helps inform management and mitigation planning.

Original Article

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https://www.usgs.gov/center-news/congressional-visit-discuss-sources-mercury-great-lakes

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Annual average stream temperatures in the Trout Lake watershed, Wisconsin, could increase from one to three degrees Celsius by the year 2100, which might negatively affect cold water fish like brook trout.  

The U.S. Geological Survey recently modeled the effects of climate change on stream temperatures for three recreational fishing creeks near Eagle River, Wisconsin, from years 2000-2100: Stevenson Creek, North Creek and Upper Allequash Creek. Findings suggest that daily mean stream temperatures in Stevenson Creek, the warmest of the three streams, could become too high to sustain a healthy trout population by the turn of the century. 

“A persistent increase in daily mean stream temperature can affect the diversity of fish species in northern Wisconsin,” said USGS scientist William Selbig. “This study can be used by managers to help make important conservation decisions in the Trout Lake watershed.” 

The new USGS report, authored by Selbig, is published in the journal Science of the Total Environment. 

Summer stream temperature is the most important single factor influencing distribution and production of some cold water fishes. Streams that may currently be suitable as a cold water sport fishery, like those in the new study, could become increasingly fragmented as fish seek refuge from warming water temperatures to less impacted areas. 

Brook trout populations are most stable when temperatures do not exceed 19 degrees Celsius, or about 66 degrees Fahrenheit. Selbig found that the frequency at which daily mean stream temperatures exceeded ideal ranges for brook trout increased for Stevenson Creek and North Creek during the last five years of the study period, especially in the warm summer months of July and August. 

“Some emission scenarios indicate that Stevenson Creek could become too warm to maintain its status as a Class II trout stream,” Selbig said.  

However, the coolest of the three streams, Upper Allequash Creek, appeared resilient to climate warming, with temperatures remaining suitable for cold water fish the majority of time. 

The projections showed that by 2100, annual average temperatures could increase by:

1.7 to 3.2 degrees Celsius in Stevenson Creek, 1.4 to 2.9 degrees Celsius in North Creek and 1.1 to 2.2 degrees Celsius in Upper Allequash Creek. 

For more information on water resources in Wisconsin, please visit the USGS Wisconsin Water Science Center website. 

Original Article

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https://www.usgs.gov/news/projected-warming-wisconsin-streams-could-negatively-affect-trout

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The project is a cooperative of USGS, US North American Command (NORTHCOMM) and the U.S. Consulate General in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico.

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https://www.usgs.gov/center-news/training-workshop-emergency-flood-forecasting-us-mexico-borderlands

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