USGS Newsroom

Study Confirms Presence of Contaminants in Some New England Bedrock Groundwater, ID's New Concerns, Determines Likely Locations

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 18:26:36 EDT

The report is posted online. The project website includes selected maps and more information.

PEMBROKE, N.H. -- Potentially harmful levels of naturally occurring arsenic, uranium, radium, radon and manganese have been found in some bedrock groundwater that supplies drinking water wells in New England, according to a new U.S. Geological Survey study.

While the presence of contaminants, such as arsenic, in some groundwater was already known, this new study identifies several that hadn’t been previously identified. This new report also provides information on the type of bedrock geologic formations where high concentrations are most likely to be found, which will help identify areas most at risk of contamination.

The results highlight the importance of private well owners testing and potentially treating their water. While public water supplies are treated to ensure that water reaching the tap of households meets federal requirements, there are no such requirements for private supplies, which serve more than 2.3 million people in the region. Private well owners can find information on how to have their wells tested here. All of the contaminants identified can be reduced or eliminated through a variety of treatments.

"The same geologic forces which gave rise to the spectacular mountains and architecturally significant rock quarries of New England are also responsible, over time, for leaching trace contaminants into the groundwater that can be harmful to human health," said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. "This study helps focus attention on where and what the risk factors are such that citizens who depend on private wells can get their water tested to ensure peace of mind."

Among the findings, arsenic in untreated samples exceeded federal safety standards for public drinking water at 13 percent of sites – nearly double the national rate. Manganese exceeded its human-health benchmark in more than 7 percent of wells tested. Radon exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed standards in 33 percent of wells. Additionally, uranium, which is easily measurable, was found to be a significant predictor of the presence of other forms of radioactivity (radon, radium, gross alpha radioactivity) that are a cause of concern for human health.

The study, part of an ongoing national effort by the USGS to systematically assess the quality of the Nation’s most important aquifers, is the most comprehensive study of the quality of New England’s bedrock groundwater to date.

“The concentrations above human health benchmarks and the wide variety of natural and man-made contaminants found show the vulnerability of crystalline rock aquifers that millions of people rely on to produce safe drinking water,” said USGS scientist and lead author Sarah Flanagan. “The well-to-well variability of water quality from bedrock aquifers in the region underscores the importance of testing public and private wells individually.”

"The bedrock aquifer in New England is a crucial drinking water resource, supplying water for the majority of our 2.3 million private well owners and many small public water systems in the region," said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's New England office. "This and other scientific studies on bedrock groundwater quality conducted by the USGS provide the scientific foundation for implementing protection programs to ensure that all New Englanders have access to safe, clean drinking water."

For this study, scientists examined water-quality data from more than 4,700 public-supply wells that were sampled for the USEPA Safe Drinking Water Program from 1997 to 2007 and 117 private wells sampled by the USGS National Water-Quality Assessment Program from 1995 to 2007. The samples included only well water from crystalline rock aquifers found in most of New England and small portions of northern New Jersey and southern New York State.

Depending on concentrations and the period of time someone consumes the water, among the potential health issues associated with drinking water containing these contaminants at levels above human health benchmarks include various types of cancer; reproductive and developmental problems; kidney and blood diseases; diabetes; and a weakened immune system.

“This study confirmed many areas already known to have groundwater with high levels of arsenic and radiochemicals and revealed for the first time, the potential fluoride hotspots in parts of the White Mountain region of northern New Hampshire,” said Flanagan.

These hotspots are locations with naturally occurring fluoride that can exceed drinking water standards.

“We also found that high concentrations of many naturally occurring compounds in groundwater were related to specific bedrock formations,” added Flanagan.

In addition to natural sources, human activities affected the quality of groundwater from New England’s crystalline rock aquifers. The researchers found sodium and chloride in water sources, both naturally occurring as well as that from road salt; nitrates; MtBE (methyl tert-butyl ether) and chloroform; and, rarely, pesticides. The concentrations of these contaminants were all below levels of human health concern, but some, such as chloride, had the potential to impact aquatic organisms.

The complete results of the study, Quality of Water from Crystalline Rock Aquifers in New England, New Jersey, and New York, 1995-2007, by Sarah M. Flanagan, Joseph D. Ayotte, and Gilpin R. Robinson, Jr., are available online.

Private well owners in New England can contact their State Drinking Water Programs for guidance and information about well maintenance, testing, and in-home water treatment options.

Information about water quality nationwide is found on the USGS National Water-Quality Assessment Program website.

Information about the USEPA’s New England Drinking Water Program can be found online.

Access the USGS New Hampshire Water Science Center for more information about water in New England.

Low April Streamflows Not Necessarily an Indicator of Summer Drought

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Mon, 21 May 2012 14:00:00 EDT

The low streamflows seen throughout much of New England this April do not foreshadow a summer drought, as researchers have determined summer rainfall plays a bigger role than snowmelt runoff in determining streamflows in the summer.

In a new report by the U.S. Geological Survey, scientists also looked at how streamflow during April is influenced by both winter air temperature and precipitation. They concluded that April streamflow is more sensitive to changes in temperature than to changes in winter precipitation in southern New England.

While streamflow in April is more sensitive to changes in temperature, summer streamflows are more dependent on precipitation.

Understanding the sensitivity of streamflow to climatic variation is important because people and aquatic ecosystems are dependent upon water supplies, particularly in summer low-flow seasons.

"This valuable scientific investigation demonstrates the ability of USGS researchers to rapidly respond to a sudden and troubling anomaly, in this case southern New England streamflows lower than 90 percent of historical April flows, and by May we were able to produce a useful report getting to the heart of the issue," said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. "Their work uncovers new feedbacks relevant to climate change impacts on stream flows while demonstrating the return-on-investment from our long-term streamgaging program."

"In this study, we found that warm March air temperatures this year in southern New England contributed to low April streamflows," said USGS scientist Glenn Hodgkins, who is the lead author of this report. "It is well known that precipitation affects streamflows, but it has been less well known that air temperature can affect flows too."

Warmer air temperatures cause snowpack to melt earlier, with most runoff then occurring prior to April in southern New England. Winter precipitation is still a contributing influence, as lower precipitation results in lower snowpack accumulation and less water available for spring runoff.

"With warmer winters predicted in the future, spring streamflows in New England could continue to change," said Robert Lent, USGS Maine Water Science Director. "This study helps us to understand that relationship and provides information to those who manage water resources."

The USGS has been collecting continuous streamflow data for 50 to 100 years at many rivers in New England. Scientists analyzed April flows from 31 streamgages in areas that are not strongly influenced by direct human watershed changes such as reservoir regulation or urbanization.

Using these data, they analyzed year-to-year correlations between April flows and winter precipitation and air temperature from nearby meteorological sites. They also looked at year-to-year correlations between April flows and late-spring and summer flows.

The study focused on the New England region, which includes Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut.

Read the USGS report, “Relations between Winter Climatic Variables and April Streamflows in New England and Implications for Summer Streamflows.”

The USGS has around 7,800 streamgages across the nation. Learn more by visiting the National Water Information System website.

A Big Day for Science: Citizens Have Contributed One Million Observations to Top Nature Database

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Thu, 3 May 2012 9:00:00 EDT

RESTON, Va. — Thanks to citizen-scientists around the country, the USA National Phenology Network hit a major milestone this week by reaching its one millionth nature observation.

The millionth observation was done by Lucille Tower, a citizen-scientist in Portland, Ore., who entered a record about seeing maple vines flowering. Her data, like all of the entries, came in through USA-NPN’s online observation program, Nature's Notebook, which engages more than 4,000 volunteers across the country to observe and record phenology – the timing of the recurring life events of plants and animals such as when cherry trees or lilacs blossom, when robins build their nests, when salmon swim upstream to spawn or when leaves turn colors in the fall.

Each record not only represents a single data point — the status of a specific life stage of an individual plant or animal on one day – but also benefits both science and society by helping researchers understand how plants and animals are responding to climate change and, in turn, how those responses are affecting people and ecological systems.

"My dream is that through the wonders of modern technology and the National Phenology Network we could turn the more than six billion people on the planet into components of our scientific observing system," said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. "We could make giant leaps in science education, improve the spatial and temporal coverage of the planet, lower the cost of scientific data collection, and all while making ordinary citizens feel a part of the scientific process."

Jake Weltzin, a U.S. Geological Survey scientist and the executive director of USA-NPN, concurs. "Hitting the one millionth observation is exciting because researchers and decision-makers need more information to understand and respond to our rapidly changing planet. More information means better-informed decisions that ensure the continued vitality of our natural areas that we all depend on and enjoy."

For example, said Weltzin, the data in Nature's Notebook are already being used to benefit society, including the development of more accurate indicators of spring, forecasting the onset of allergy seasons or the chances of western wildfires, managing wildlife and invasive plants, and setting goals for habitat restoration. Ultimately, such information can be used for better managing water resources, wildlife and ecosystem management, and even help farmers and ranchers across the nation.

Changes in phenology are among the most sensitive biological indicators of global change. Across the world, many springtime events are occurring earlier — and fall events happening later — than in the past. These changes are happening quickly for some species and more slowly, or not at all, for others, altering relationships and processes that have been dynamically stable for thousands of years. Some wildlife —like caribou and butterflies — are becoming mismatched from their plant food resources, which are responding differently. Migrations for some birds are changing too, as they can now overwinter instead of moving south for the winter, or as they fly north more quickly to keep pace with an advancing front of spring flowering.

Because of this, said Weltzin, scientists need more and better information about the pace and pattern of nature — locally to nationally — to answer important scientific and societal questions, and to build the tools and models needed to help people understand and adapt to the changes.

"So much of our improved understanding about global environmental changes is driven by varied and valuable sources of information that include networks of citizen-scientists," said John Wingfield, National Science Foundation’s assistant director for biological sciences. "The public at large has played an important role collecting observations and data for a hundred years and more. Knowledge and data gained from their work will continue to have a lasting effect on how we understand regularly recurring biological phenomena for hundreds of plant and animal species and contribute to the policy arena."

Gwen Lundburg in Seattle is one citizen-scientist who has contributed hundreds of entries into Nature’s Notebook. "Just noticing small changes like tiny purple lilac buds suddenly turning green has taught me to look more closely at my plants," Lundburg said. "I see things in my garden I never saw before."

With the help of citizen-scientist volunteers, working in concert with professionals, the USA-NPN, which was established in 2007, collects, stores and freely shares phenological data on more than 800 species of plants and animals. The Nature’s Notebook observing program has been in operation since 2009. The coordinating office of the organization is located at 1955 E. 6^th St., Tucson, Ariz., 85721. For more information, visit the USA National Phenology Network, or contact Jake Weltzin at 520-626-3821 or jweltzin@usgs.gov.

New Geologic Map of Vermont Unveiled

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 11:00:00 EDT

Gov., USGS, Vermont Geological Survey and University of Vermont roll-out details

MONTPELIER, Vt. – A new bedrock geologic map of the state was unveiled in a ceremony at the Vermont State House today, bringing a critical tool to land managers involved in natural resource planning and environmental assessment.

The event, hosted by Gov. Peter Shumlin, included the Secretary of the Agency of Natural Resources Deb Markowitz; Peter Lyttle of the U.S. Geological Survey; Laurence Becker, Vermont Agency of Natural Resources; and Char Mehrtens of the University of Vermont. These three organizations were the main collaborators to produce this updated, highly detailed map. The state’s last map of this kind was produced in 1961, with the first geologic map of the state being produced 150 years ago.

"Through the balanced work of all the partners, Vermonters now have a comprehensive map that will help us better understand and plan for issues like groundwater, energy, hazards, infrastructure development, and environmental protection for years to come," Gov. Shumlin said. "Such up to date information is crucial to the State when addressing the economic and environmental concerns of citizens, lawmakers, government, business, and local communities."

Geologic maps enable resource managers and land management agencies to identify and protect aquifers, evaluate resources and land use, and prepare for natural hazards, such as earthquakes and land subsidence, for example. Geologic maps are also critical tools for choosing safe sites for solid and hazardous waste disposal and for protecting sensitive ecosystems.

Understanding where different rock types are located provides important clues about where groundwater and mineral resources exist. The map provides a template for future studies in a variety of disciplines -- not only geologic, tectonic and hydrologic studies, but also economic and environmental evaluations.

"It was an incredible tour de force to bring this level of detail to the new bedrock map on account of the many intense geologic events that have left their mark on the state of Vermont over the eons," said USGS Director Marcia McNutt from the bureau's headquarters in Reston, Va. "Without the steadfast and enduring partnership of the USGS, the Vermont Geological Survey, and the University of Vermont, this achievement would not have been possible."

Vermont's new map shows an uncommon level of detail for state geologic maps. Mapped rock units are based on lithology, or rock type, rather than traditional rock formations that may include multiple rock types. This map identifies more than 486 different types of rock throughout the state of Vermont, a design feature intended to facilitate use by multiple disciplines. During the project, scientists also discovered many fault lines, advancing understanding about how and where water travels through the underground rock formations and providing clues about where underground aquifers -- an important source for potable fresh water -- may be located.

"The Vermont map is the visual presentation used to communicate data, ideas and interpretations. New map patterns developed through years of field and laboratory studies led to recognition of terranes from different geologic settings. Most importantly, understanding these settings gives us predictive capabilities for the sub-surface including areas where rocks are covered by glacial deposits," said Laurence Becker, the 13th Vermont State Geologist. "The bedrock geology, in conjunction with the overlying glacial deposits, form the geologic system crucial to understanding economic and environmental issues that face our state."

Vermont's new geologic map substantially builds upon the state's previous geologic map – created in 1961– by incorporating the theory of plate tectonics, which had not yet been developed 50 years ago. The Green Mountains form the backbone of Vermont. Their geologic history, spanning more than 1.4 billion years, attests to a complex series of plate tectonic events including the formation of corals reefs, ocean basins and volcanic arcs punctuated by periods of Appalachian mountain building.

"The new bedrock geologic map of Vermont changes the way we look at the geologic history of the state because we can now see relationships between rock types and structures that were obscured on the old map," said Char Mehrtens, contributing author of the map and professor of Geology at UVM. "The level of detail provided by the new map is also a huge help to geoscience educators because we can now design student projects to utilize the three dimensional information it contains. The significance of this map can't be understated; it places us in the national conversation about the origin and evolution of mountain belts, particularly because the National Science Foundation-funded Earth Scope project will be working in New England starting in 2013. The new bedrock map sets the stage for collaborative studies of University of Vermont geologists with their national and international colleagues."

The process for creating a geologic map for an entire state is very field intensive, and The Bedrock Geologic Map of Vermont has been in development since the 1980s. The authors who originated this project and brought it to fruition include Nicholas M. Ratcliffe, USGS; Rolfe S. Stanley*, UVM; Marjorie H. Gale, VGS; Peter J. Thompson, VGS; and Gregory J. Walsh, USGS.

Other contributors included Norman L. Hatch, Jr.*, USGS; Douglas W. Rankin, USGS; Barry L. Doolan, UVM; Jonathan Kim, VGS; Charlotte J. Mehrtens, UVM; John N. Aleinikoff, USGS; and J. Gregory McHone, Wesleyan University. Linda M. Masonic, USGS, was responsible for the cartography.

The Bedrock Geologic Map of Vermont covers 246 7.5-minute quadrangles at a scale of 1:100,000 where one inch equals about 1.6 miles. The map consists of three oversize sheets (52 x 76 inches), and displays the state's geology in an 8.5-foot tall map. Printed copies of the map will be available for sale by the USGS and by the Vermont Geological Survey. The map is also available online in a variety of formats through the USGS and the Vermont Geological Survey website.

* Deceased

River Levels Set Records in 10 States

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 10:26:07 EDT

USGS Continues to Monitor East Coast Rivers for Flooding

Editors note: this news release will be updated online with more information on the streamgage records being set by state as it becomes available.

Updated September 1: includes more information on streamgage records set in each state. Also includes information on records set in Puerto Rico.

Rivers and streams are reaching record levels as a result of Hurricane Irene’s rainfall, with more than 80 U.S. Geological Survey streamgages measuring record peaks.

The northeast is seeing the bulk of the records, as higher than average precipitation the past few weeks had saturated the ground in many locations prior to Irene’s arrival.

While some rivers have already crested, or reached their highest levels, other rivers are still expected to rise.

Immediately after the worst of the storm had passed, USGS hydrologists from North Carolina to Maine deployed to measure high-water marks at rivers and streams and to verify high river flows and peak stages. The crews also calibrated and repaired streamgages damaged by the storm to ensure they continued to transmit information in real time to users working to protect lives and property.

To date, records have been set on rivers and streams in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Puerto Rico.

The USGS, in cooperation with state and federal agencies, operates a nationwide network of more than 7,000 streamgages on inland rivers and streams. These gauges provide real-time data important to the National Weather Service, FEMA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other state and local partners involved in issuing flood and evacuation warnings, coordinating emergency responses to communities, and operating flood-control reservoirs.

Real-time information from these streamgages can be seen here.

Flooding information and records known so far:

Information on record peaks and flows is still being gathered and is subject to change.

In Connecticut, a new record was set on the Naugatuck River
In Delaware, records were set at three streamgages on the St. Jones River, Beaverdam Branch at Houston and Silver Lake tributary
In Maine, the fastest flowing water was recorded on the border with New Hampshire with at least one record set on the Wild River
In Maryland, records were set at six streamgages on the Choptank River, James Run, Tuckahoe Creek, Three Bridges Branch, Swan Creek and St. Clement Creek
In Massachusetts, records were set at eight streamgages on the Deerfield, North, South, Green, Mill and Housatonic rivers
In New Hampshire, records were set at five streamgages on the Saco, Pemigewasset, Cockermouth and Connecticut rivers
In New Jersey, records were set at 34 streamgages on the Papakating Creek, Hackensack River, Passaic River, Green Pond, Rockaway River, Whippany River, Pequannock River, Wanaque River, Ringwood Creek, Ramapo River, Peckman River, Saddle River, Elizabeth River, Rahway River, Raritan River, Stonybrook at Princeton, Millstone River, Middlebrook River, Bound Brook, Lawrence Brook, Manasquan River, Metedeconk River, Little Ease Run, Musconetcong River, Crosswicks Creek, McDonalds Branch and Racoon Creek
In New York, records were set at 37 streamgages the Cold Spring Brook, Battenkill River, Canajoharie Creek, Schoharie Creek, West Kill River, Bear Kill River, Manor Kill Stream, Platter Kill Stream, Mine Kill Stream, Schoharie Creek, Esopus Creek, Hollow Tree Brook, Stony Clove Creek, Bush Kill Stream, Rondout Creek, Croton River, Titicus River, Cross River, Hackensack River, Ramapo River, Mahwah River, Delaware River, Dry Brook, Neversink River, Ausable River, Mettawee River, Birch Creek
In Pennsylvania, a record was set on the Schuykill River
In Puerto Rico, records were set at two streamgages on the Gurabo and Guayanes rivers
In Vermont, records were set at eight streamgages on the Saxtons River, Little River, Ayers Brook, Williams River, Walloomsac River, Otter Creek, Dog River, and Mad River

This monitoring is part of the federal government’s broad efforts to ensure public safety to support the state, tribal, and local response to the storm.

For more information on being prepared for storms go to ready.gov.

Flooding Sets New Records in New York

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Wed, 4 May 2011 16:32:34 EDT

Troy, NY –Three to five inches of warm rain and significant snowmelt produced widespread flooding throughout northern New York from April 27-May 2. Most USGS streamgages in northern New York exceeded flood stage during this event, according to preliminary data released today by the U.S. Geological Survey.

USGS field crews made a total of 36 high-flow measurements. Water elevations and streamflows were the highest ever recorded at 14 of 26 streamgages. On May 2, Lake Champlain at Rouses Point reached 102.86 feet. This is the highest elevation on record since monitoring began 141 years ago.

“Rivers in much of northern New York have receded from flood stage by several feet, except those downstream from lakes and reservoirs,” said hydrologist Gerard Butch, who leads USGS stream monitoring efforts in eastern New York. “Lake Champlain remains above the major flood stage of 101.5 feet, so the additional 1-2 inches of rain in the forecast could prolong the flooding or produce a higher peak,” said Butch.

During this flood, USGS dispatched six field crews from its offices in Troy and Potsdam to keep critical streamgages operating and to verify the accuracy of data that the gages transmit in real time to users working to protect lives and property. This includes the National Weather Service, which relies on the data to issue flood warnings, and emergency responders and planners working to protect lives and property from floods.

Other records set include:

New elevation records were set at the Hinckley Reservoir (97-year record), Stillwater Reservoir (85-year record) and Great Sacandaga Lake (82-year record).
New records were set for flow and stage at the following locations: The Hudson River at North Creek, the Raquette River at Piercefield (102 year record), the Indian River near Indian Lake (97-year record), the Raquette River at South Colton (50-year record), the Raquette River at Raymondville (66-year record), the West Canada Creek at Kast Bridge (90-year record), and the Sacandaga River at Stewart’s Bridge (80-year record).
Second highest peaks of record were set on the Hudson River at Hadley (92-year record), the Hudson River near Newcomb (87-year record), and the Ausable River near Au Sable Forks (81- year record)
Annual flood probabilities were 1 in 500 on the Raquette River at Piercefield; 1 in 100 on West Canada Creek at Kast Bridge, the Indian River near Indian Lake, the Raquette River at South Colton, the Raquette River at Raymondville, the Hudson River at North Creek, and the Hudson River near Newcomb; and 1 in 80 at the Hudson River at Hadley. Additional stations may be added as new information becomes available.

Updated information and details on the records set are posted on the USGS New York Water Science Center website.

Bats Worth Billions to Agriculture: Pest-control Services at Risk

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 16:38:46 EDT

Additional Media Contacts:

Paul Cryan, USGS, 970-226-9389, cryanp@usgs.gov
Gary McCracken, University of Tennessee, 865-974-3065, gmccrack@utk.edu
Thomas Kunz, Boston University, 617-353-2474, kunz@bu.edu

Pest-control services provided by insect-eating bats in the United States likely save the U.S. agricultural industry at least $3 billion a year, and yet insectivorous bats are among the most overlooked economically important, non-domesticated animals in North America, according to an analysis published in this week’s Science magazine Policy Forum.

"People often ask why we should care about bats,” said Paul Cryan, a U.S. Geological Survey research scientist and one of the study’s authors. “This analysis suggests that bats are saving us big bucks by gobbling up insects that eat or damage our crops. It is obviously beneficial that insectivorous bats are patrolling the skies at night above our fields and forests — these bats deserve help."

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The value of the pest-control services to agriculture provided by bats in the U.S. alone range from a low of $3.7 billion to a high of $53 billion a year, estimated the study’s authors, scientists from the University of Pretoria (South Africa), USGS, University of Tennessee and Boston University. They also warned that noticeable economic losses to North American agriculture could occur in the next 4 to 5 years as a result of emerging threats to bat populations.

“Bats eat tremendous quantities of flying pest insects, so the loss of bats is likely to have long-term effects on agricultural and ecological systems,” said Justin Boyles, a researcher with the University of Pretoria and the lead author of the study. “Consequently, not only is the conservation of bats important for the well-being of ecosystems, but it is also in the best interest of national and international economies.”

A single little brown bat, which has a body no bigger than an adult’s thumb, can eat 4 to 8 grams (the weight of about a grape or two) of insects each night, the authors wrote. Although this may not sound like much, it adds up — the loss of the one million bats in the Northeast has probably resulted in between 660 and 1320 metric tons of insects no longer being eaten each year by bats in the region.

“Additionally, because the agricultural value of bats in the Northeast is small compared with other parts of the country, such losses could be even more substantial in the extensive agricultural regions in the Midwest and the Great Plains where wind-energy development is booming and the fungus responsible for white-nose syndrome was recently detected,” said Tom Kunz, a professor of ecology at Boston University, another co-author.

Although these estimates include the costs of pesticide applications that are not needed because of the pest-control services bats provide, Boyles and his colleagues said they did not account for the detrimental effects of pesticides on ecosystems nor the economic benefits of bats suppressing pest insects in forests, both of which may be considerable.

Bat populations are at risk in some areas of the country as a result of the emerging disease of white-nose syndrome. The loss of bats to white-nose syndrome has largely occurred during the past 4 years, after the disease first appeared in upstate New York. Since then, the fungus thought to cause white-nose syndrome has spread southward and westward and has now been found in 16 states and 3 Canadian provinces. Bat declines in the Northeast, the most severely affected region in the U.S. thus far, have exceeded 70 percent. Populations of at least one species, the little brown bat, have declined so precipitously that scientists expect the species to disappear from the region within the next 20 years.

Scientists are also concerned with the potential for losses of certain species of migratory bats at wind-energy facilities. By one estimate, published by Kunz and colleagues in 2007, about 33,000 to 111,000 bats will die each year by 2020 just in the mountainous region of the Mid-Atlantic Highlands from direct collisions with wind turbines as well as lung damage caused by pressure changes bats experience when flying near moving turbine blades. The issue raised by the authors is that the impacts on bat populations from white nose syndrome and wind turbines are just beginning to interact and might result in economic consequences.

“We hope that our analysis gets people thinking more about the value of bats and why their conservation is important,” said Gary McCracken, a University of Tennessee professor and co-author of the analysis. “The bottom line is that the natural pest-control services provided by bats save farmers a lot of money.”

The authors conclude that solutions to reduce threats to bat populations may be possible in the coming years, but that such work is most likely to be driven by public support that will require a wider awareness of the benefits of insectivorous bats.

The article, “Economic importance of bats in agriculture,” appears in the April 1 edition of Science. Authors are J.G. Boyles, P. Cryan, G. McCracken and T. Kunz.

Tattered Wings: Bats Grounded by White-Nose Syndrome's Lethal Effects on Life-Support Functions of Wings

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 11:47:54 EDT

Madison, Wisconsin—Damage to bat wings from the fungus associated with white-nose syndrome (WNS) may cause catastrophic imbalance in life-support processes, according to newly published research.

This imbalance may be to blame for the more than 1 million deaths of bats due to WNS thus far, proposes Carol Meteyer, a pathologist with the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Wildlife Health Center and a lead author of the research published in BMC Biology.

Physiological problems caused by the novel fungus, may, in fact, represent a completely new disease paradigm for mammals, Meteyer and her colleagues wrote. Other skin infections in mammals due to fungi (ringworm, athlete’s foot) remain superficial and do not invade living tissue—typically they only affect the surface of skin, hair and nails.

Not so for the aptly named Geomyces destructans.

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“This fungus is amazingly destructive — it digests, erodes, and invades the skin — particularly the wings — of hibernating bats,” said Meteyer. “The ability of this fungus to invade bats’ wing skin is unlike that of any known skin fungal pathogen in land mammals.”

The authors examined nearly 200 bats that had died from WNS, and also reviewed the critical function and physiology of bat wings during hibernation. As a result, they propose that G. destructans may cause unsustainable dehydration in hibernating bats, triggering thirst-associated arousals. In addition to the direct damage to the wings that would alter flight control, the erosion and invasion of skin may also cause significant changes in circulation, body-temperature regulation and respiratory function.

Since signs of the disease were first observed in New York during the winter of 2006-07, the fungus has spread through 11 states and 2 Canadian provinces, resulting in the first sustained high-mortality disease affecting bats in recorded history. Biologists assume that as the disease spreads to new areas, cave-hibernating bats in those areas will also be at risk, including some that are endangered.

“The high number of bat deaths and range of species being affected far exceeds the rate and magnitude of any previously known natural or human-caused mortality event in bats, and possibly in any other mammals,” said Paul Cryan, a lead author of the paper and a USGS bat ecologist at the Fort Collins Science Center.

Although the powdery white muzzles of affected bats gave the disease its name, the authors believe that the skin of bat wings is the most significant, though often less obvious, target of the fungus.

The order of bats is called Chiroptera, Greek for “hand-wing,” appropriately named since bat wings are essentially modified arms. Imagine, for a moment, your human hand with its fingers spread apart. Then imagine your fingers are 6 feet long, and the whole skeletal affair is covered with two layers of thin, somewhat transparent membranes attached to the sides of your torso and legs. Sandwiched between the membranes are blood and lymphatic vessels, delicate nerves, muscles and special connective tissues that help you fly and help keep you physiologically healthy.

“The disproportionately large areas of exposed skin that make up bat wings play critical roles in maintaining safe internal body conditions during hibernation,” noted Cryan. “Healthy wings are essential for day-to-day survival, even during winter when bats are mostly just hanging around. Wings damaged by the fungus may not always look so bad to the naked eye, but under the microscope things get ugly fast.”

When Meteyer examined wings of diseased bats microscopically, she discovered wing damage was often so severe that it led her and her colleagues to suggest multiple life-threatening effects on hibernating bats.

“A bat’s wings,” said Meteyer, “are obviously critical for flying, but they also play a vital part in essential functions such as body temperature, blood pressure, water balance and blood and gas circulation and exchange.”

Healthy bats occasionally rouse themselves from hibernation, probably to change roosts, drink, mate and even overcome sleep deprivation, biologists think. But bats afflicted with WNS arouse much more often. In fact, a characteristic of hibernation sites with WNS is daytime flights of affected bats outside caves.

“The prevailing hypothesis is that daytime winter flight is a last-ditch effort for starving bats to find insect prey,” Cryan said. “What we propose is that thirst, and maybe not always hunger, is driving these arousals. Unusual thirst during hibernation may result from water essentially leaking out of wings damaged by the fungus.”

Anecdotally, bats at hibernacula affected by WNS are sometimes seen flying over and drinking from water surfaces or eating snow, highlighting the plausibility of this hypothesis, the authors noted.

Hibernation itself is one reason this emerging disease is so successful. During hibernation, a bat’s immune function and metabolism are dramatically reduced, and body temperature drops significantly. Also, some of the worst-affected bat species roost in humid areas in dense clusters to conserve energy and decrease moisture loss.

“These ideal environmental conditions, combined with the hibernating bat’s suppressed immune system, likely allow the fungus to invade body tissues for nutrients without resistance, making the hibernating bat a most accommodating host for this new disease,” Meteyer said.

The researchers compare the ability of this novel bat fungus to destabilize internal functions with the electrolyte imbalance that occurs in frogs infected by chytrid fungus, which, like G. destructans, is a novel disease of vertebrates. Chytrid infection impairs the ability of frog skin to regulate hydration and internal equilibrium, causing electrolyte imbalance and ultimately cardiac arrest.

“The skin plays a critical role in the physiology of both amphibians and bats,” Meteyer said. “We suggest that a similar, but less subtle, disturbance could be occurring in the wing membranes of bats with WNS.”

The journal article can be accessed online.

[Access images for this release at: &amp;lt;a href="http://gallery.usgs.gov/tags/NR2010_12_14" _mce_href="http://gallery.usgs.gov/tags/NR2010_12_14"&amp;gt;http://gallery.usgs.gov/tags/NR2010_12_14&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;]

Chloride Found at Levels that Can Harm Aquatic Life in Urban Streams of the Northern U.S.--Winter Deicing a Major Source

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 9:00:00 EDT

The USGS report and maps of monitoring sites are available online.

Levels of chloride, a component of salt, are elevated in many urban streams and groundwater across the northern U.S., according to a new government study.

Chloride levels above the recommended federal criteria set to protect aquatic life were found in more than 40 percent of urban streams tested. The study was released today by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Elevated chloride can inhibit plant growth, impair reproduction, and reduce the diversity of organisms in streams.

The effect of chloride on drinking-water wells was lower. Scientists found chloride levels greater than federal standards set for human consumption in fewer than 2 percent of drinking-water wells sampled in the USGS study.

Use of salt for deicing roads and parking lots in the winter is a major source of chloride. Other sources include wastewater treatment, septic systems, and farming operations.

“Safe transportation is a top priority of state and local officials when they use road salt. And clearly salt is an effective deicer that prevents accidents, saves lives, and reduces property losses,” said Matthew C. Larsen, USGS Associate Director for Water. “These findings are not surprising, but rather remind us of the unintended consequences that salt use for deicing may have on our waters. Transportation officials continue to implement innovative alternatives that reduce salt use without compromising safety.”

This comprehensive study examines chloride concentrations in the northern U.S. covering parts of 19 States, including 1,329 wells and 100 streams.

Selected Highlights

Land use matters

Chloride yields (the amount of chloride delivered per square mile of drainage area) were substantially higher in cities than in farmlands and forests. Urban streams carried 88 tons of chloride per square mile of drainage area. Forest streams carried about 6 tons of chloride per square mile.
Only 4 percent of the streams in agricultural areas had chloride levels that exceeded the recommended federal criteria set to protect aquatic life (compared to more than 40 percent of urban streams). Overall, 15 percent of all streams had chloride levels exceeding the criteria.
Chloride concentrations in shallow groundwater (not used for drinking) were 16 times greater in urban areas than in forests, and 4 times greater in urban areas than in agricultural areas.

Highest levels in streams in the winter

In urban streams, the highest levels of chloride (as great as 4,000 parts per million, which is about 20 times higher than the recommended federal criteria) were measured during winter months when salt and other chemicals are used for deicing.

Increases over time

Increases in chloride levels in streams during the last two decades are consistent with overall increases in salt use in the U.S. for deicing.
Increasing chloride yields are linked to the expansion of road networks and parking lots that require deicing, increases in the number of septic systems, increases in wastewater discharge, and increases in saline groundwater from landfills.

Sources can vary locally

Chloride in ground and surface waters comes from many sources including the use and storage of salt for deicing roads, septic systems, wastewater treatment facilities, water softening, animal waste, fertilizers, discharge from landfills, natural sources of salt and brine in geologic deposits, and from natural and human sources in precipitation.

Variety of Chemicals Found in Waters Flowing into Lake Champlain

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 10:39:06 EDT

A variety of man-made chemicals has been found in the streams and wastewaters that discharge into Lake Champlain. The chemicals found include pesticides, fire retardants, fragrances, detergent degradates, and caffeine. These findings were released today by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

The chemicals were found at extremely low concentrations, measuring a few parts per billion. The concentrations were highest in waters released by sewage treatment plants, combined sewer overflows and small urban streams. The lowest concentrations were in larger rivers, an undeveloped stream, and the lake.

Although the concentrations were low, the significance of such a mixture in the environment is unknown. How these chemicals affect fish and human health at the levels found is not well understood and an area of ongoing research.

"What we found in the Lake Champlain basin is similar to what has been found in other areas of the United States and Europe where these chemicals have been studied," said Patrick Phillips, USGS hydrologist and lead author of this study. "Some of the chemicals are more common in small urban streams and waters of combined sewer overflows, indicating untreated sewage may be contaminating these waters. Other chemicals are more common in treated wastewater, meaning that they are not effectively removed by wastewater treatment operations," said Phillips.

Combined sewer overflows are a mixture of stormwater runoff and untreated (or raw) sewage. This occurs during larger rain or runoff periods. In Burlington, the combined sewer overflow treatment includes removal of sand-sized and larger particles, and disinfection prior to release in Lake Champlain.

"Combined sewer overflows may be an important source of man-made chemicals to receiving waters, and may be a larger source of some chemicals than treated wastewater," said Phillips. "Nevertheless, it is good news that despite these inputs, very few chemicals were detected in Lake Champlain itself," said Phillips.

The study also shows that wastewater treatment is effective at removing certain chemicals, such as caffeine and cholesterol, prior to the water's release to Lake Champlain.

Done in collaboration with the Lake Champlain Basin Program, this study is the first ever examination of these chemicals in waters of the Lake Champlain basin.

"This study provides our first look at a new class of chemicals in the environment that are commonly know as emerging contaminants," said William Howland, Manager of the Lake Champlain Basin Program in Grand Isle, Vt. "Working with the USGS, we have been doing more detailed studies of these and other chemicals in urban streams, wastewaters and combined sewer overflows of the Burlington area for the last two years so that we can better understand the presence of these chemicals in the basin," Howland said.

For this study, scientists sampled 30 locations in both Vermont and New York during 2006. The Winooski River in Colchester, Missisquoi River in Swanton and Potash and Englesby brooks in Burlington were among the streams sampled. Scientists collected Lake Champlain samples from Burlington Bay, Cumberland Bay, Missisquoi Bay, and St Albans Bay. They took wastewater samples from Burlington, St. Albans, and Plattsburgh wastewater treatment facilities. Combined sewer overflow samples were from Burlington.

Scientists analyzed 62 different chemicals in the water samples; all but 8 of the chemicals were found in one or more samples. Some individual water samples from combined sewer overflows and treated wastewater contained up to 35 different chemicals. Scientists detected no man-made chemicals in a stream in Stowe, Vt. that is primarily undeveloped and forested.

A group of fossil-fuel-based chemicals known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were found routinely in the urban streams. These chemicals originate from burning fossil fuels, from asphalt, and from the application of sealers on asphalt.

The USGS report, "Wastewater Effluent, Combined Sewer Overflows, and other Sources of Organic Compounds to Lake Champlain," is published in the . The abstract is available online.Journal of the American Water Resources Association

Information on studies of the USGS in Vermont is available online at the USGS Water Resources of New Hampshire and Vermont Web site.

More information on the Lake Champlain Basin Program is available on: http://www.lcbp.org/

Presidential Rank Award -- Top Federal Honor -- Given to USGS Deputy Director Robert Doyle

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 12:45:32 EDT

U.S. Geological Survey Deputy Director Robert Doyle has been selected as a Distinguished recipient of the Presidential Rank Award, a prestigious award that commends outstanding leadership and long-term accomplishments.

The President annually recognizes a small group of career senior executives and senior career employees with the Presidential Rank Award. Recipients are strong leaders, professionals and scientists who achieve results and who consistently demonstrate strength, integrity and commitment to excellence in public service. There are two categories of rank awards: Distinguished and Meritorious. Only one percent of the 7,000 career senior executives may earn the award in the Distinguished category.

After beginning his federal career at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in 1974, Mr. Doyle has, as noted in the award citation, consistently demonstrated superb business skills and excelled as an effective change agent, risk taker, and problem solver.

"Not only has Bob been a critical asset to the Survey, he is frequently called upon by senior officials throughout the Department of the Interior for his leadership, strategic thinking, and management expertise," said USGS Director Mark Myers. "Again and again, he displays sharp, experienced judgment in analyzing situations. Equally important, he has exercised a strong and unusually versatile ability to get things done."

Mr. Doyle serves as the chief operating officer and deputy director for the USGS, a science agency within the DOI. The USGS is a $1.4 billion dollar enterprise with more than $400 million reimbursed from customers - a significant indication of the scientific relevancy, value and importance of its work. The highly decentralized agency employs about 8,500 employees deployed across three national regions in more than 400 locations with offices in every state. For almost five years, he has provided steady leadership while overseeing significant scientific accomplishments during transitions between bureau directors.

Mr. Doyle played a key role designing the reorganization plans for the USGS regional structure designed to strengthen and improve science integration across all science disciplines - a critical step for implementing the newly adopted USGS 10-year science strategy. Under his leadership, the USGS has established and maintained an outstanding record of organizational performance as measured by DOI and Office of Management and Budget standards.

Mr. Doyle initiated and implemented a plan to open the vast USGS archives of satellite (Landsat) imagery and aerial photography for broader use by the general public and commercial interests. This information has proven invaluable to land planners, resource managers and emergency responders as well as policy makers for attempting to understand the impacts of land uses and climate variability and for developing meaningful adaptive and mitigation strategies.

Newly Identified Fungus Implicated in White-Nose Syndrome in Bats: Mysterious Bat Disease Decimates Colonies in the Northeast

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 13:00:00 EDT

A previously undescribed, cold-loving fungus has been linked to white-nose syndrome, a condition associated with the deaths of over 100,000 hibernating bats in the northeastern United States. The findings are published in this week's issue of Science.

The probable cause of these bat deaths has puzzled researchers and resource managers urgently trying to understand why the bats were dying in such unprecedented numbers. Since the winter of 2006-07, bat declines at many surveyed hibernation caves exceeded 75 percent.

The fungus—a white, powdery-looking organism—is commonly found on the muzzles, ears and wings of afflicted dead and dying bats, though researchers have not yet determined that it is the only factor causing bats to die. Most of the bats are also emaciated, and some of them leave their hibernacula—winter caves where they hibernate—to seek food that they will not find in winter.

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USGS microbiologist and lead author David Blehert isolated the fungus in April 2008, and identified it as a member of the group Geomyces. The research was conducted by U.S. Geological Survey scientists in collaboration with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the New York State Department of Health, and others.

Geomyces are a group of fungi that live in soil, water and air and are capable of growing and reproducing at refrigerator-level temperatures. Although the new fungus is a close genetic relative of known Geomyces, it does not look like a typical member of this group under the microscope. "We found that this fungus had colonized the skin of 90 percent of the bats we analyzed from all the states affected by white-nose syndrome," Blehert said.

Researchers don't know yet if white-nose syndrome emerged because this newly identified fungus was introduced into caves or whether the fungus already existed in caves and began infecting bats after they were already weakened from some other cause. "This fungus may have been recently introduced to bat hibernation caves and, if so, human and animal movements among these caves are causes that need to be considered,"says Blehert. "Data show the occurrence of white-nose syndrome radiating outward from the site of its first appearance, and genetic identity among fungal isolates from distant caves argues for a recent introduction of this microbe. Before the identification of white-nose syndrome, mass mortality events in bats as a result of disease were very rare."

WNS was first seen in New York during the winter of 2006. Since then, populations of cave-hibernating bats have been drastically declining in New York, Vermont, Massachusetts and Connecticut. Affected species include little brown bats, northern bats, tricolored bats, Indiana bats, small-footed myotis and big brown bats.

Worldwide, bats play critical ecological roles in insect control, plant pollination and seed dissemination, and the decline of North American bat populations would likely have far-reaching ecological consequences, the researchers wrote. They noted that parallels can be drawn between the threat posed by WNS and chytridiomycosis, a lethal fungal skin infection that has recently caused precipitous global amphibian population declines.

"Right now," said Blehert, "we are uncertain about the long-term effects of white-nose syndrome on North American bats, but we are quite concerned about future effects on bat populations wherever environmental conditions are conducive to growth of the fungus. To manage and perhaps halt this disease, we have to first better understand it."

Websites for additional information:


Dr. David Blehert working in his laboratory at the USGS National Wildlife Health Center (Cathy Acker, USGS)	A little brown bat found in a New York cave exhibits fungal growth on its muzzle, ears and wings. (Al Hicks, NY Dept of Environ. Conservation)

Little brown bat with fungus on muzzle (Al Hicks, NY DEC – also submitted for cover of Science)	Little brown bats in NY hibernation cave. Note that most of the bats exhibit fungal growth on their muzzles (Nancy Heaslip, NY DEC)

Little brown bats in NY cave (Al Hicks, NY DEC)	Scientists enter abandoned mine where bats hibernate in NY (Kim Miller, USGS)

USGS wildlife disease specialist Kim Miller outside of an abandoned mine where bats hibernate in NY (USGS)	Kim Miller collecting environmental samples in an abandoned mine where bats hibernate in NY (USGS)

Wing damage from fungus in little brown bat (Kim Miller, USGS)	USGS pathologist Nancy Thomas and technician Dottie Johnson necropsy little brown bat at the USGS National Wildlife Health Center (Allison Klein, USGS)

USGS scientists conducting necropsy on bats (Dr. David Blehert on right) at the USGS National Wildlife Health Center.	Map showing affected areas.