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Both precipitation and groundwater withdrawals, among other factors, influence lake-water levels in the northeast Twin Cities metropolitan area, and the extent of these changes vary among lakes, according to a new U.S. Geological Survey study.

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

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Attendees will have the opportunity to meet face-to-face with USGS Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center scientists and learn about research conducted at the La Crosse, Wisconsin, facility. Fish and wildlife-oriented activities will be available for children, and refreshments, including popcorn and lemonade, will be provided.

The event is an opportunity to learn about science careers and see how learning in STEM, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, builds the knowledge and problem solving skills needed to find creative solutions for society’s challenges.

The USGS Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center has been a member of the La Crosse community since its founding in 1959, and periodically hosts public open house events.

“Our science center enjoys the opportunity to show members of the community what we do, how we partner with other federal and state agencies and how to use USGS information as a resource,” said Randy Hines, a USGS biologist at the center.

WHAT:          The La Crosse community is invited to an engaging and educational family event at the USGS Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, a renowned fish, wildlife and Upper Mississippi River ecology science facility. The event is free and open to the public.

WHO:            USGS scientists will answer questions, showcase cutting-edge technology and discuss their latest research on wildlife, biology and ecology, focusing especially on Wisconsin and the surrounding Midwest region.

WHEN:           Saturday, September 9, 2017, from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

WHERE:         2630 Fanta Reed Road, La Crosse, Wisconsin (map)

                      Take the French Island exit (exit 2) off of I-90 and head one mile north, just northwest of La Crosse.

DETAILS:  For questions related to the event, please contact Randy Hines at 608-781-6398 or rkhines@usgs.gov.

(Public domain.)

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Fortunately, in an effort with needlepoint detail, the U.S. Geological Survey has stitched together geologic maps of the Lower 48 States, providing a seamless quilt of 48 State geologic maps that range from 1:50,000 to 1:1,000,000 scale.

The new product, called the USGS State Geologic Map Compilation, is a database compilation based on the Preliminary Integrated Geologic Map Databases for the United States. It provides a standardized Geographic Information System format that allows users to more readily conduct spatial analyses of lithology, age, and stratigraphy at a national-scale. As an example, a named rock unit (Dakota sandstone) might be called something different from State to State, on their respective State geologic maps. In the new database, rock units are characterized by their type (lithology) like "sandstone or granite" not by their formal name. This consistency across the single database now makes it easier for users to access information, rather than having to collect it from multiple databases.

One Database, Many Users

The shale oil boom: how much oil is really there? Critical minerals: does the United States have what it needs for your smartphone, air conditioner and car, let alone our military? Earthquakes and volcanoes: which hazards do we face? All these questions are addressed with geologic maps!

Geologic information forms the bedrock of much of the work USGS does. On the traditional geologic research side, these data will inform assessments of energy and mineral resources, quantifying volcano and earthquake hazards, and mitigation of potential environmental effects from mining.

However, high-quality geologic maps and their underlying databases extend beyond the obvious links. Tracking groundwater—an important source of drinking water and irrigation to millions in the United States—requires accurate data about rock formations and faults (the groundwater’s plumbing, as it were). In addition, understanding the nature of geologic formations can assist with infrastructure development, such as where to put dams and bridges, as well as agricultural planning.

Finally, a national digital geologic map database is vital to those who use other national-scale datasets, such as geochemistry, remote sensing, and geophysical data. Trying to match a national-scale dataset with a dataset of just Mississippi, for instance, would open the door to confusion, mistakes, and some serious Delta blues.

A screenshot of the State Geologic Map Compilation, showing the layer navigation menu. (Public domain.)

New Maps, New Data, and Easier to Use

The State Geologic Map Compilation includes the following seven new State geologic maps that have been released since the original Preliminary Integrated Geologic Map Databases were published: Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, and Vermont. The State Geologic Map Compilation also incorporates new supplemental data for the States of California, Indiana, New Jersey, New Mexico, and North Carolina. In addition, the surface geologic maps for North Dakota and South Dakota have been replaced with updated bedrock geologic maps.

We corrected numerous errors and added enhancements to the preliminary datasets using thorough quality assurance/quality control procedures. We ensured attributes adhered to data dictionaries created for the compilation process and corrected spatial and topological errors. Also, we have standardized the geologic data contained in each State geologic map to allow spatial analyses of lithology, age, and stratigraphy at a national scale.  

The changes make the data more consistent between the States as well as with the original State geologic maps. It also streamlines tasks that previously required combining multiple geographic information system datasets and tables.

Stitching the Pieces Together

This new product is like a quilt, with a top layer that is pieced together from many pieces of cloth and a single piece of cloth underneath that forms the backing. In our analogy, the top layer is a GIS map layer that stitches together individual state geologic maps to form a national map, and the bottom layer (or backing) is a single consistently formatted database that means each of the pieces on top have the same structure underpinning them. Now that a newly updated, single database (backing) is holding all the information, multiple individual pieces can be viewed and queried as a whole.

Prior to the State Geologic Map Compilation, we had standardized individual GIS databases for each state, but none of them were connected. Anytime someone wanted to do national or regional scale work, they had to go to multiple databases, then piece what they wanted together.  The improvements to this updated version create a single, conterminous State geologic map database.

Series of images that show how users of the State Geologic Map Compilation can zoom in from broad national scale to more a detailed local scale. The more detailed image is of the Bingham canyon mine area in Utah. (Public domain.)

Putting Geology on the Map

For the visual learners out there, map services of the State Geologic Map Compilation data have been created which can be used in numerous web mapping applications including the USGS National Map. This allows the data to be explored without specialized geographic information systems software.  To use it, go here, then use the “Add Data” button on most web mapping applications to access the data in web browsers.

The State Geologic Map Compilation map service has also been added to the National Map of Surficial Mineralogy web mapping application [Layers List - "Lithology (State Geologic Maps)" and "Geologic Structure (State Geologic Maps)"]. Users can explore the data along with the other layers including remote sensing (ASTER and Landsat7), various mineral deposits data, and numerous types of basemap data.

Out of Many, One...Database, That Is

Just as quilts are rarely the work of a single needle, this mosaic of geologic maps and data was sewn by many hands. The State Geologic Map Compilation of the Conterminous United States was developed by the USGS Mineral Resources Program. The project owes its success to numerous USGS Mineral Resources Program staff who originally compiled the Preliminary Integrated Geologic Map Databases for the United States as well as the foundational geologic mapping work completed by U.S. State Geologic Surveys and academia.  Special thanks to the Montana Bureau of Mines & Geology for their tremendous work in preparing the Geologic Map of Montana to be included in the State Geologic Map Compilation.

A screenshot of the State Geologic Map Compilation. (Public domain.)

What’s Next?

As mentioned previously, one limitation of the State Geologic Map Compilation is that geologic units haven’t been integrated across state boundaries. That means that, in some locations, a geologic formation that spans the border of, say, Colorado and Kansas might be represented by polygons with different names in Colorado and Kansas. We preserve what the States named each rock unit, then we use a standardized rock coding to show what kind of rock the unit is, regardless of what it is named. So now, for instance, if you wanted, you could look for every shale formation in the Lower 48 that was the same age as the oil-rich Bakken Formation of North Dakota and Montana.

A long-term goal of the USGS is eventually to have a fully integrated geologic map at useful scales of the entire country. That map and its underlying databases would be invaluable to Federal, State, and local government, as well as private companies and academia. It would greatly enhance studies of mineral resources, groundwater resources, geologic natural hazards, and aspects of environmental health, as well as agricultural and infrastructure planning. It is no exaggeration to say it could serve as the foundation for a renaissance in Earth science in the United States.

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https://www.usgs.gov/news/stitching-together-new-digital-geologic-quilt-united-states

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A carbonatite here, a glacial moraine there, a zig-zagging fault or two, even a behemoth of a batholith. The geology of the 50 States is an enormous patchwork of varied forms, beautiful in their variance but challenging to present as a single map.

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Wisconsin

Wisconsin

http://www.usgs.gov/news/featured-story/stitching-together-new-digital-geologic-quilt-united-states

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Managers have reduced Lake Michigan stocking levels of Chinook salmon at least three times over the past decades in response to declining prey fish and the natural reproduction of Chinook salmon.  (Credit: Michael Humling, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Public domain.)

Reduced stocking of Chinook salmon, however, would still support a substantial population of this highly desirable recreational salmon species, which is a large contributor to the Great Lakes multi-billion-dollar recreational fishery.

“Findings from our study can help managers determine the most viable ways to enhance valuable recreational fisheries in Lake Michigan, especially when the open waters of the lake are declining in productivity,” said Yu-Chun Kao, an MSU post-doctoral scientist and the lead author of the report.

Managers have reduced Lake Michigan stocking levels of Chinook salmon at least three times over the past decades in response to declining prey fish and the natural reproduction of Chinook salmon. For the new study, scientists investigated the lake’s current and future abilities to support different fish stocking efforts. They found that recent decreases in critical lake nutrients, partly due to increases in invasive species such as quagga mussels, reduce the amount of Chinook salmon that the lake can support. 

“Our model showed that stocking Chinook salmon can still help maintain their populations in Lake Michigan,” said Mark Rogers, a USGS Tennessee Cooperative Fishery Research Unit scientist and co-author on the study. “When stocking was completely eliminated in the model, the long-term amount of salmon was predicted to decrease considerably. The key is to determine how much stocking is most effective. It’s a balancing act.”

The study also found that lake trout and steelhead may fare better because these two species can switch from eating alewife, which are in decline, to bottom-dwelling round goby, another newly established invasive prey fish that feeds on quagga mussels.

The scientists modeled Lake Michigan’s food web dynamics under 288 scenarios that accounted for various levels of stocking and nutrients, as well as the effects of invasive mussels. These scenarios were developed based on responses to a survey from fishery managers, water-quality managers and researchers.

“Interestingly, reducing stocking by 50 percent in the model resulted in long-term Chinook population numbers that were similar to the numbers when stocking was not reduced,” said David “Bo” Bunnell, a USGS co-author on the study.

Lake Michigan’s open-water food web has changed significantly since the 1970s, becoming less productive as a result of decreased nutrients such as phosphorus, a process called oligotrophication. Nutrients help sustain phytoplankton and zooplankton, the tiny aquatic plants and animals at the base of the food web that support other aquatic life, including prey fishes. In Lake Michigan, oligotrophication occurred partly as a result of invasive mussels, which filter phytoplankton from the water column.

Declines in prey fishes such as alewife were likely due, in part, to decreases in plankton. Because the Chinook salmon diet consists of over 90 percent alewife, the new study predicts a smaller Chinook salmon population if nutrients remain low and invasive mussels remain abundant.

For more information about USGS ecosystems research in the Great Lakes, please visit the USGS Great Lakes Science Center website.

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https://www.usgs.gov/news/changing-tides-lake-michigan-could-best-support-lake-trout-and-steelhead

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Invasive mussels and less nutrients from tributaries have altered the Lake Michigan ecosystem making it more conducive to the stocking of lake trout and steelhead than Chinook salmon, according to a recent U.S. Geological Survey and Michigan State University study.

Original Article

Wisconsin

Wisconsin

http://www.usgs.gov/news/state-news-release/changing-tides-lake-michigan-could-best-support-lake-trout-and-steelhead

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This hibernating little brown bat shows signs of white-nose syndrome. (Credit: Alan Hicks, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Public domain.)

USGS scientists tested samples collected from bats, the environment and equipment at eight bat hibernation sites in Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee and Virginia. They found that bats occupying such sites in summer can harbor the Pd fungus on their skin, and that Pd is more readily detectable in their guano, or feces.

The scientists also detected Pd on clothing and equipment taken inside and near caves and mines used by bats. These detections demonstrate that gear exposed to fungal-infected environments is a potential mechanism for Pd spread, even during summertime when the prevalence of WNS is low. WNS is not known to affect humans, pets, livestock or other wildlife.

“Our findings provide insights into additional means by which Pd may be dispersed and further contribute to the spread of this devastating disease that threatens agriculturally and environmentally valuable bat populations,” said Anne Ballmann, a USGS scientist and the lead author of the report. “This information will further help inform managers working to control the westward movement of WNS in North America.”

Between July 18 and August 22, 2012, Ballmann and her colleagues collected swabs from bat wings, cave walls and equipment used in and near the study sites. They also collected guano from individual bats and floor sediment in underground summer roost sites. Findings include:

Pd was detected on 40 bats and in environmental samples from seven of the eight study sites; Guano accounted for 93 percent of the bat-associated Pd detections; Equipment, including trapping equipment and a backpack, from three WNS-impacted sites in Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio tested positive for Pd DNA; and Fungal DNA from Pd was more readily detected in sediment samples than on swab samples from cave walls.

No bats showed visible signs of WNS during the course of this study, even though the disease-causing fungus was found. Although exposure to Pd does not result in WNS during summertime, the study showed that the fungus that causes the disease can be transported by bats and people visiting contaminated sites in summer.

First detected in New York State in the winter of 2006-2007, WNS has spread to 31 states and five Canadian provinces. The disease is named for the white fungus that infects the muzzle, ears and wings of hibernating bats. Scientists at the USGS National Wildlife Health Center discovered, characterized and named the fungus that causes WNS, and pioneered laboratory techniques for studying effects of the fungus on hibernating bats.

Decontamination guidance for cave visitors to help reduce the risk of human-assisted movement of Pd can be found online.

The USGS is part of an international coordinated response to WNS, which is led by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

For more information about USGS wildlife disease research, please visit the USGS National Wildlife Health Center website.

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https://www.usgs.gov/news/deadly-fungus-affecting-hibernating-bats-could-spread-during-summer

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The cold-loving fungus (Pseudogymnoascus destructans, or Pd) that causes white-nose syndrome, a disease that has killed millions of North American bats during hibernation, could also spread in summer months. Bats and humans visiting contaminated caves and mines can inadvertently contribute to the spread of the fungus, according to a recently published study by the U.S. Geological Survey.

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http://www.usgs.gov/news/national-news-release/deadly-fungus-affecting-hibernating-bats-could-spread-during-summer

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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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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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This southeastern bat from Alabama shows signs of infection from the Pseudogymnoascus destructans fungus that causes white-nose syndrome. The USGS National Wildlife Health Center later confirmed WNS in this animal. (Credit: Dottie Brown, Ecological Solutions, Inc.)

The diseased bat was found in Shelby County, Alabama, at Lake Purdy Corkscrew Cave, by surveyors from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) Nongame Program; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-Alabama Ecological Services Field Office; Ecological Solutions, Inc.; and the Southeastern Cave Conservancy, Inc.

The cave is owned by the Birmingham Water Works and managed by the Southeastern Cave Conservancy, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to cave acquisition, conservation and management.

WNS in the southeastern bat was confirmed in the laboratory by the U.S. Geological Survey.

A fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, or Pd, causes WNS, which affects many, but not all bat species that come into contact with it. Of those affected, bat populations have declined by more than 90 percent.

“We are disappointed to find white-nose syndrome in another species, but hopeful that the southeastern bat may fare better than many of its more northern cousins based on how long it took to be diagnosed with the disease,” said Jeremy Coleman, national WNS coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “This discovery, along with the continued spread of Pd this year, reinforces the need for our continued vigilance in the face of white-nose syndrome.”

First detected in New York in 2007, WNS is now in 31 states and five Canadian provinces.

Other species confirmed with WNS include little brown, northern long-eared, Indiana, Eastern small-footed, gray, tricolored, big brown and Yuma myotis. All the affected species eat insects and hibernate during the winter. The northern long-eared bat was designated as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act in 2015 primarily due to the threat of WNS.

Bats are an important part of our nation’s ecosystems, and provide significant pest control services to American farmers. Insectivorous bats likely save the United States agricultural industry at least $3 billion each year, or approximately $74 per acre for the average farmer. Alabama is home to 15 species of bats, including northern long-eared bats and federally endangered gray and Indiana bats.

Each winter the Alabama Bat Working Group (ABWG) surveys areas to inventory bat populations, discover important bat hibernation areas and document the advance of WNS. This year biologists from the ABWG surveyed 50 sites in 14 counties and found that numbers of tricolored bats and endangered Indiana bats had substantially declined.

Nick Sharp, a member of the ABWG and nongame biologist with the Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries, says the decline of tricolored bats has experts concerned. “Tricolored bats were once common in Alabama, but now seem to be disappearing due to WNS. We are troubled by the potential loss of the important ecosystem function this species provides in Alabama,” he said.

“Ongoing surveillance for the P. destructans fungus and white-nose syndrome provides critical information to resource managers about the occurrence of this disease in North American bats,” said David Blehert, a scientist with the USGS National Wildlife Health Center. “This information is essential to inform future response efforts.”

WNS was first documented in Alabama in 2012 in Jackson County, and since has been confirmed in bats in Jackson, Lawrence, Limestone, Marshall, Morgan and, now, Shelby counties. In addition to finding the diseased southeastern bat this season, the ABWG swabbed more than 100 bats statewide, adding Blount, Bibb and Madison to the list of counties where WNS fungus has been documented. Calhoun, Colbert and Lauderdale tested Pd-positive in previous years.

For additional information on WNS, please visit www.whitenosesyndrome.org.

This photo shows a colony of southeastern bats, or Myotis austroriparius. As of 2017, the species joins eight other hibernating bat species in North America that are afflicted with the deadly bat fungal disease known as white-nose syndrome.(Credit: Pete Pattavina, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Public domain.)

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https://www.usgs.gov/news/alabama-survey-finds-first-southeastern-bat-white-nose-syndrome

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Biologists have confirmed white-nose syndrome in the southeastern bat, or Myotis austroriparius, for the first time. The species joins eight other hibernating bat species in North America that are afflicted with the deadly bat fungal disease.

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http://www.usgs.gov/news/national-news-release/alabama-survey-finds-first-southeastern-bat-white-nose-syndrome

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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 U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, and the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is measuring streamflow and collecting nutrient and sediment samples at stream gages in the Western Lake Erie Basin in Northwest Ohio.  

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Upper Midwest Water Science Center

Upper Midwest Water Science Center

http://www.usgs.gov/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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This information is critical in helping resource managers mitigate effects of an Asian carp invasion. Great Lakes fisheries generate economic activity of approximately $7 billion annually in the United States alone. Due to the introduction or invasion of many non-native species, Lake Michigan’s ecosystem has already undergone broad and rapid change in fish and other aquatic life. If bighead and silver carp were to populate Lake Michigan, they have the potential to adversely affect the ecosystem and fishing industry.

Scientists used predictive models to simulate fish growth and food consumption to determine the suitability of the Great Lakes to Asian carp invasions. USGS scientists used satellite imagery of Lake Michigan showing near-surface algae to determine how much food would be available for Asian carp. Green algae and blue-green algae, specifically floating algal blooms that can be seen on the surface, are a preferred food source for Asian carp. The water temperatures and algal concentrations detected in Lake Michigan from 2009-2011 show that the bighead and silver carp populations could not only live in this environment, but continue to grow.

 “Most areas of the lake had insufficient algal food for bighead and silver carp, but the model indicates that nearshore areas and embayments had plenty of algal food to support survival and growth,” said Karl Anderson, USGS scientist and lead author of the study.

These findings imply that if bighead and silver carp were to invade Lake Michigan, they might not spread randomly across the lake; rather follow coastlines where sufficient algal food exists. Coastal areas are particularly important not only for fisheries and biological reasons, but also because human activity is more common near shore than in the vast open areas of Lake Michigan. Silver carp often react to boats by jumping; this activity is a nuisance because silver carp often jump into boats, harming people and property. Concentration of silver carp near the coastline would enhance the propensity of such nuisance interactions with boaters. 

Food availability and water temperature are the greatest sources of uncertainty for predicting fish growth potential. Water temperature is a key factor in determining how much bighead and silver carps need to eat. Models developed by USGS scientists helped determine how much algae carps need to eat to survive.

Silver carp are known for their leaping ability, especially when excited by boats. 

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https://www.usgs.gov/news/asian-carp-would-have-adequate-food-survive-lake-michigan

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This deer shows visible signs of chronic wasting disease. (Credit: Terry Kreeger, Wyoming Game and Fish and Chronic Wasting Disease Alliance.)

Scientists with the USGS and partners developed a novel scientific model to forecast the growth and spread of chronic wasting disease, or CWD, in white-tailed deer in southwestern Wisconsin. The model showed that CWD prevalence increased rapidly during the latter portion of the 2002-2014 study period, particularly among older male animals, and that the trend will likely continue throughout affected areas.

The scientists also found that the model outperformed traditional prediction methods, can be applied to many other diseases throughout the country and can help forecast the spread of invasive species.

This map shows the distribution of chronic wasting disease in North America as of March 2017. 

“This tool is valuable because, by predicting where threats might emerge and how areas are affected, it can help wildlife managers apply proactive strategies before the threats arrive and develop effective control programs if they establish,” said Daniel Walsh, a USGS scientist and an author of the study. “Such strategies can help protect critical resources and save money that would be needed for mitigation.”

CWD is a fatal nervous system disease affecting elk, moose, white-tailed deer and mule deer throughout the United States and Canada. It’s costly to manage, but is not known to affect humans or livestock.

Landscape features such as rivers, forests and human development influence deer movements and CWD expansion. Using the model, scientists found that CWD could spread nearly two times faster within the Wisconsin River corridor when compared to an area outside of the corridor, and will likely grow faster in highly forested areas than in areas of low forest cover.

The tool can help scientists and managers forecast the spread of other dangerous diseases, including human diseases. It can also be used to better understand and manage the dispersal of invasive species, which scientists estimate cost over $120 billion in damages annually to the U.S. economy.

The USGS partnered with Kansas State University, Colorado State University and Utah State University on the new study.

For more information about USGS wildlife disease research, please visit the USGS National Wildlife Health Center website.

Cervids, such as this healthy, male white-tailed deer, are susceptible to chronic wasting disease. (Scott Bauer, USDA)

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A new tool, which predicted the recent, rapid growth and continued spread of chronic wasting disease in deer, can help forecast and manage other costly biological threats to humans, animals and the environment, according to a recently published U.S. Geological Survey study.

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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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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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Image of the VTEM Plus AEM system from Geotech Ltd. in flight. A similar system will be flown during the upcoming USGS AEM study.
(Public domain.)

Yes, 10,000 feet in the air might not be where you’d expect to find underground mineral research being done, but believe it or not, this is an important part of figuring out where mineral deposits might be found.

When we’re up there, we’re looking for all kinds of things that help us determine what kinds of minerals might exist in an area. One thing we often measure for is the magnetic properties of the rock layers we fly over.

You’ve probably heard that some metals are magnetic, like iron or nickel. But another, very valuable set of minerals can be found by looking for magnetism: rare-earth elements. Most of our modern electronics depend on rare-earth elements, and the United States imports 100% of the amount we use each year, so finding where they might be in the United States is an important goal of ours. We’ve conducted these flights over the Upper Midwest, Iowa, Missouri and even Upstate New York.

The airplane that will be doing overflights in Essex and Clinton Counties, flying a grid pattern at low altitude for a few weeks in December. 
(Public domain.)

Another tool we use to study the mineral potential of the country is hyperspectral imaging. Basically, we use lasers to create a map of different signatures, and then compare them to the signatures for certain rock types that contain valuable minerals. The primary places USGS has used hyperspectral imaging to study minerals are Alaska and Afghanistan.

So if you look up one day and see a small plane flying back and forth along a grid, or see a helicopter dragging a couple of hula hoops around, check your local paper to see if it’s us seeing what kind of minerals might be in your backyard!

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Both irrigation wells and municipal wells affect water levels in the Little Plover River, Wisconsin. (Credit: Ken Bradbury, Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey)

The Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey and the U.S. Geological Survey have released the results of a three-year project to develop a groundwater flow model for an area around the Little Plover River in Wisconsin’s Central Sands agricultural region. The model is a state-of-the-art scientific tool that can be used to help make informed decisions about high-capacity well placement and pumping, as well as land use in the region, which stretches from southern Adams County to north of Stevens Point.

The project was carried out jointly by the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey and the USGS Wisconsin Water Science Center. In addition to the groundwater flow model, researchers developed a report (Bulletin 111) and a user’s guide to the model.

The groundwater flow model was commissioned by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources with the goal of demonstrating the scientific relationships among groundwater, lakes and streams and high-capacity well withdrawals. The Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association also contributed funding and information for the project.

“This model is a tool for testing and evaluating different ways to manage the groundwater in the Central Sands region,” said Ken Bradbury, state geologist and one of the authors of the report.

The model includes all high-capacity wells in the region installed before 2013, when modeling began, and simulates seasonal variations in groundwater recharge, irrigation needs and well pumping.

“The techniques and data combined in this project illustrate how groundwater modeling can be used for resource management in other similar areas of Wisconsin and the nation in the future,” said Michael Fienen, a USGS hydrologist and one of the report authors.

The Little Plover basin covers only a small portion of the Central Sands region, but was selected for the model because a great deal of background data was available there. The study concludes that the techniques used for the Little Plover area are readily transferrable to building a model for the rest of the Central Sands region.

The completed model serves as a powerful tool for testing and demonstrating alternative water-management scenarios. For example, it can simulate how the cumulative impacts of pumping and land-use changes have affected flow in the Little Plover River. It can also be used to predict which wells and well locations would have the greatest impact on nearby lakes and streams.

The new model is a sophisticated tool intended for use by environmental professionals such as DNR staff, consultants and academic groups. It provides a uniform, unbiased starting point for investigations of different water management alternatives.

The report and model are available on the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey website.

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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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Scientists with the USGS and U.S. Department of Agriculture tested 290 water samples from eight rivers in the Great Lakes Basin from February 2011 to June 2013. The two most frequently detected pathogens were human adenovirus C, D and F in nine percent of samples, which can cause minor respiratory illnesses in people, and bovine polyomavirus in 11 percent of samples.

“Fecal contamination by human pathogens is a potential human health hazard when present in recreational or drinking water, and bovine pathogens can be a health hazard for dairy operations,” said Peter Lenaker, a USGS scientist and the lead author of the study. “Results from our study can help managers develop effective water-quality management strategies to minimize pathogen exposure risks.”      

Human viruses were present in 16 percent of the total number of water samples. They occurred most often and at highest concentrations in the River Rouge in Michigan, followed by the Clinton River in Michigan and the Milwaukee River in Wisconsin. Samples from these three locations had greater than 25 percent urban influence and more than 2,900 people per square kilometer (km2).

Bovine viruses were most common in the Manitowoc and Milwaukee Rivers in Wisconsin. These two sampling locations had greater than 40 percent agricultural land influence and cattle densities greater than 50 cattle per km2. Overall, viruses from cattle occurred in 14 percent of the samples collected.

Human viruses can come from a variety of sources, including wastewater treatment run-off, failing wastewater infrastructure, malfunctioning sanitary sewers and septic systems. Bovine viruses can have sources that include direct cattle access to streams, and runoff flow from barnyards, pastures and manure application.

“Gastrointestinal viruses tend to be very specific to the animal they infect,” said Dr. Mark Borchardt, head of the USDA Agricultural Research Service laboratory that tested the samples. “When we find these viruses in the environment we know the exact source of the fecal pollution.”

The scientists also found that:

Human and bovine viruses occurred more frequently in spring and winter seasons than during the fall and summer; Precipitation, snowmelt and low-flow water conditions all contributed to the delivery of human and bovine viruses to streams; Other human viruses that were found in at least one water sample were adenovirus A, GI and GII norovirus and enterovirus; and Other cattle viruses detected were bovine rotavirus A, enterovirus and bovine viral diarrhea virus type 2.

For more information about water quality in the Great Lakes Basin, please visit the USGS Wisconsin Water Science Center website.

Human and bovine, or cattle, viruses were detected in a small percentage of some Great Lakes Basin streams, with human viruses more prevalent in urban streams and bovine viruses more common in streams in agricultural areas. (Credit: Ben Siebers, USGS. Public domain.)

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Human and bovine, or cattle, viruses were detected in a small percentage of some Great Lakes Basin streams, with human viruses more prevalent in urban streams and bovine viruses more common in streams in agricultural areas, according to a recent U.S. Geological Survey-led study.

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Driveways in a residential subdivision are coated with black coal-tar-based sealcoat, contrasting with the white cement sidewalk. (Public domain)

Runoff from pavement with coal-tar-based sealant is the primary source of toxic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, to streambed sediments in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, according to a U.S. Geological Survey and Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District study published today.

Pavement sealant is a black, shiny liquid sprayed or painted on asphalt parking lots, driveways and playgrounds to improve appearance and protect the underlying asphalt. Pavement sealants that contain coal tar, a known human carcinogen, have extremely high levels of PAHs. Some PAHs are toxic to fish and other aquatic life and several are probable human carcinogens.

Scientists with the USGS collected sediment samples from 40 streambed sites and dust samples from six parking lot sites in the Milwaukee area to determine the likely sources and toxicity of PAHs in streams. They found that dust from coal-tar-sealant contributed about 42 to 94 percent of the PAHs to the samples, with the remainder of PAHs coming from sources such as coal combustion and vehicle emissions.  

Seventy-eight percent of the sediment samples collected had PAH levels that could adversely affect aquatic organisms like aquatic insects. Among the most toxic samples collected were those from sections of Lincoln Creek, Underwood Creek and the West Milwaukee Ditch.

“This study shows that PAHs pose a very real threat to aquatic organisms at the base of the food chain,” said Austin Baldwin, a USGS scientist and the lead author of the study. “In terms of toxicity to these organisms, PAHs are probably the most important contaminants in Milwaukee-area streams.”

Potential adverse effects of these PAHs on aquatic organisms include fin erosion, liver abnormalities, cataracts and immune system impairments.

“Our study did not test the human health effects of coal-tar-sealant or PAHs in the Milwaukee area,” Baldwin said. “PAHs do not easily accumulate within the food chain, so possible human-health risks associated with consumption of fish are low.”

However, Baldwin noted that previous studies have demonstrated risks associated with tracking coal-tar-sealant dust from driveways into homes. Exposure to children playing on sealed pavement could be another route.

Coal-tar sealants have significantly higher levels of PAHs and related compounds compared to asphalt-based pavement sealants and other urban sources, including vehicle emissions, used motor oil and tire particles. Stormwater runoff, wind and tires can disseminate PAH particles throughout the urban landscape.

The new USGS study is published in the journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.

For more information about water-quality research in Wisconsin, please visit the USGS Wisconsin Water Science Center website. For more information about pavement sealants and PAHs, please visit the webpage about USGS research on PAHs and sealcoat.

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A tufted puffin, the species most affected by a recent seabird die-off in the Pribilof Islands, Alaska. (Credit: Sarah Schoen, USGS)

A beach littered with bird carcasses is a sobering sight. Since mid-October, hundreds of dead seabirds have washed ashore the north and east sides of St. Paul Island, Alaska, an otherwise serene volcanic island landscape in the Bering Sea.

Most of the carcasses being found are tufted puffins, a charismatic species of seabird with striking, silky tassels of feathers positioned like ponytails behind their white-masked eyes. However, horned puffins, murres and crested auklets have washed ashore as well, according to biologists from the Aleut Community of the St. Paul Island Tribal Government Ecosystem Conservation Office (ACSPI ECO).

“Seabirds, including puffins, are important to local residents for their cultural and subsistence uses, and are appreciated by bird watchers from around the world,” said John Pearce, a scientist with the USGS Alaska Science Center. “Seabirds can also provide important signals about local conditions in the marine environment, such as the abundance and availability of forage fish.”

The ACSPI ECO and Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team (COASST) reported to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that as of November 17, the encounter rate of puffin carcasses over a three-week period was hundreds of times greater than normal compared to past surveys at St. Paul. In total, nearly 300 carcasses of a variety of beached seabird species have been counted since mid-October.

Only a fraction of birds that die at sea become beached, and of those, only a small portion are observed by people before they are removed by scavengers. As a result, many more birds may be affected by the die-off than has been recorded.

 

A horned puffin, one of the species affected by a recent seabird die-off in the Pribilof Islands, Alaska.(Credit: Sarah Schoen, USGS)

USGS Die-Off Detectives

To determine cause of death, eight puffin carcasses – six tufted puffins and two horned puffins – were collected by ASCPI ECO biologists and sent to the USGS National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wisconsin, where scientists conducted necropsies, or animal autopsies, on the birds. The USGS found that these fish-eating puffins were severely emaciated and likely died of starvation. The animals showed no sign of disease.

Starvation of the birds could be related to a lack of prey or changes in prey distribution as a result of abnormal sea temperatures. Unusually high sea surface temperatures were recorded in October for the Bering, Beaufort and Chukchi Seas. Coupled with record low levels of sea ice, these temperatures could affect populations of forage fish and squid upon which seabirds like puffins depend.

In 2015-2016, the USGS and USFWS investigated and documented a large-scale die-off of common murres in the Gulf of Alaska with similar findings of starvation.

 

A Continuous, Coordinated Effort

The USGS is working with the USFWS, COASST, ACSPI ECO, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to determine the full extent of the St. Paul seabird die-off. Together, these partners will continue to investigate the seabird mortality event.

The public can help, too. According to the USFWS, people can report sick or dead birds to 1-866-527-3358 or AK_MBM@fws.gov. Please include the following information:

Time & Date Exact location (latitude/longitude, length of beach) Type of bird (species name or group e.g., murre, puffin, etc.) Estimated number of birds Photos

The USFWS warns that people should not touch or collect any sick or dead birds. Please leave the birds where they are when documenting a mortality event.

For more information about wildlife die-offs, please visit the USGS National Wildlife Health Center website. To learn more about seabirds and wildlife disease in Alaska, visit the USGS Alaska Science Center website.

February 2019 update: More information about the effects of harmful algal blooms on Alaska's seabirds is available at a 2018 USGS Fact Sheet.

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The timely removal of leaf litter can reduce harmful phosphorus concentrations in stormwater by over 80 percent in Madison, Wisconsin. (USGS)

The timely removal of leaf litter can reduce harmful phosphorus concentrations in stormwater by over 80 percent in Madison, Wisconsin, according to a recent U.S. Geological Survey study.

Autumn leaf litter contributes a significant amount of phosphorus to urban stormwater, which then runs off into waterways and lakes. Excessive amounts of nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen can cause eutrophication, or the depletion of oxygen in water, resulting in death of aquatic animals like fish. The USGS-led study found that without removal, leaf litter and other organic debris in the fall contributed 56 percent of the annual total phosphorus load in urban stormwater compared to only 16 percent when streets were cleared of leaves prior to a rain event.

“Our study found that leaf removal is one of the few treatment options available to environmental managers for reducing the amount of dissolved nutrients in stormwater,” said Bill Selbig, a USGS scientist and the author of the report. “These findings are applicable to any city that is required to reduce phosphorus loads from urban areas.”

The city of Madison used municipal leaf collection, street cleaning and leaf blowers to remove leaf litter from residential areas, and asked residents to pile their leaves adjacent to the street to limit excess debris. (USGS)

During April through November of 2013 through 2015, scientists compared concentrations of phosphorus and nitrogen in stormwater from two residential catchments in western Madison that had similar tree cover. The city applied a leaf litter removal program from late September through mid-November at one site but not the other. The researchers found significantly lower amounts of phosphorus and nitrogen at the site where leaves were removed.

The study also found that stormwater nutrient levels were highest during the fall months when the amount of organic debris on streets was at its peak. This finding suggests that leaf removal programs are most effective during fall in Madison, and that sources other than leaves, such as street dirt and grass clippings, were likely the primary contributors of phosphorus and other nutrients during spring and summer.

“The efficiency, frequency and timing of leaf removal and street cleaning are the primary factors to consider when developing a leaf management program,” Selbig said.

During the study period, the city of Madison used municipal leaf collection, street cleaning and leaf blowers to remove leaf litter from residential areas, and asked residents to pile their leaves adjacent to the street to limit excess debris. Leaf collection and street cleaning occurred about every seven days from late September through mid-November.

The USGS collaborated with the City of Madison, the Fund for Lake Michigan and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources on the study.

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

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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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A common insecticide used in urban and agricultural areas, bifenthrin, is harmful to aquatic ecosystems at levels that were previously considered safe, according to a new study by the U.S. Geological Survey. The insecticide was measured in several streams in the Midwest at levels that caused harm to artificial aquatic ecosystems.

Bifenthrin is used to combat common household pests like ants and termites, to control mosquitos that could spread diseases like West Nile and Zika and on crops to kill aphids and other agricultural pests. About 1.2 million pounds of bifenthrin was used in the United States in 2013.

USGS scientists evaluated the effects of bifenthrin on natural communities of stream invertebrates, such as mayflies and midges, using artificial streams. Exposure to bifenthrin concentrations previously thought benign caused the insect populations to become less abundant and diverse, and caused an increase in algal growth as the larvae that feed on algae decreased. The insecticide also altered the timing of insect emergence from the larval state to become adults and complete their life cycle. The full study, reported in the scientific journal Environmental Science and Technology, is now available online.

There were obvious similarities between the data from the artificial stream test and data for 92 small streams in the Midwest studied by the USGS in 2013. The insect species that were most sensitive to bifenthrin in the artificial streams were less abundant or eliminated from Midwest streams with similar bifenthrin concentrations. About 40 percent of Midwest streams sampled had bifenthrin concentrations greater than levels that caused meaningful ecological change in the artificial stream study.

 “The results of this experiment demonstrate that not only do aquatic insects die at concentrations of bifenthrin previously thought nontoxic, but that bifenthrin changes the way that stream ecosystems function,” said Travis Schmidt, a USGS ecologist and the lead scientist on the study. “Bifenthrin disrupts the ability of insects to control algal blooms, and disrupts the emergence of flying aquatic insects that are a food source for bats, birds and other animals in and around rivers.”

Parts of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas were included in the study.

This study is the one of several regional stream-quality assessments by the USGS. Findings will provide the public and decision makers with information regarding which human and natural factors are the most critical in affecting stream quality. Regions studied include the Southeast (2014), the Pacific Northwest (2015), the Northeast (2016) and California (2017). 

Support for this work was provided by the USGS National Water Quality Assessment Project (NAWQA).

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https://www.usgs.gov/news/common-insecticide-identified-midwestern-streams

hkoontz@usgs.gov