USGS Newsroom

Scientists Find Clues in Cases of Fish Virus Found in Coastal Washington Steelhead

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 12:00:00 EDT

SEATTLE — The spread of a highly virulent fish virus in four separate coastal Washington watersheds from 2007-2011 has been described in a new research paper by the U.S. Geological Survey. The most probable source of the virus was identified as steelhead trout originating from the Columbia River Basin.

The research, conducted with state, federal, tribal, and University of Washington partners, used genetic testing of the virus to characterize the emergence of Infectious Hematopoietic Necrosis Virus, better known as IHNV, in coastal Washington steelhead trout between 2007-2011. During that time, new steelhead-specific strains of the virus spread to seven different salmonid culture facilities in four different coastal watersheds, and caused significant mortality in juvenile steelhead trout, seriously impacting conservation programs.

In this work scientists identified the strain types for over 200 coastal virus samples and compared them with IHNV types detected previously throughout the Pacific Northwest. This revealed that there were at least two separate introductions of the steelhead-specific virus into coastal fish populations and that the most probable source of these introductions was the Columbia River Basin. These new data will help resource managers in efforts to prevent further spread of IHNV, and potentially other important fish pathogens, throughout the Pacific Northwest.

"Knowing how to detect this virus and how it moves between costal populations is extremely important in designing and implementing preventative measures to protect steelhead populations" said Ray Brunson, recently retired fish health specialist from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service who oversaw his agency's role from 2007-2011.

Questions remain about how the virus reached coastal fish and why the virus has not been detected in coastal watersheds since late 2011. "This work shows that transmission of IHNV cannot be wholly understood from monitoring individual rivers, so studies such as this one that look at how the virus moves throughout the interconnected Pacific Northwest are essential to support fish health programs." said Rachel Breyta, lead author from the University of Washington, working at the USGS’ Western Fisheries Research Center.

The new research will appear in an upcoming volume of the journal 'Diseases of Aquatic Organisms'. Additional information on IHNV genetic typing at the Western Fisheries Research Center is available online.

"Emergence of MD type Infectious Hematopoietic Necrosis Virus in Washington Coastal Steelhead Trout" published in the journal Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, was co-authored by scientists from the USGS Western Fisheries Research Center, in collaboration with the University of Washington, Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

New Method Monitors Riverbed and Flows to Protect Spawning Salmon

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Thu, 6 Jun 2013 13:00:00 EDT

TACOMA, Wash. — USGS scientists took high-tech sensors typically found in devices such as smart phones and embedded them into a new method to monitor riverbed movements that can help protect spawning habitat for endangered salmon. Developed in cooperation with Seattle Public Utilities for the Cedar River, the new method is published in the Journal of Hydrology.

Seattle Public Utilities manages the Cedar River for about 70 percent of Seattle's drinking water, limited flood control, and to provide beneficial conditions for instream resources including spawning habitat for several species of salmon and trout. During spawning, female fish dig depressions in the gravel, called "redds," where they lay their eggs to incubate and hatch. Several species lay eggs around the fall-winter flood season. To protect the water supply, endangered Chinook salmon, steelhead trout, bull trout and 80 other species, the City of Seattle is implementing the 50-year, Cedar River Watershed Habitat Conservation Plan. As part of the plan, Seattle works with the interagency Cedar River Instream Flow Commission to provide beneficial stream flows in the 35 miles of river downstream of Chester Morse Reservoir.

High-tech sensors called "accelerometers" are used in smart phones, for example, to detect a change in phone movement, such as turning it to get a wider view. Scientists took accelerometers, coupled with data-logging circuits, and placed them in tubes that were then buried in the Cedar River's gravel in 26 salmon-spawning locations, at about the same depth in the gravel as salmon bury their eggs. During the 2010-11 flood season, when Cedar River high flows began moving gravel, the accelerometers tilted as the river moved them, too. The accelerometers automatically recorded the time of tilt, which scientists could relate to how much flow was in the river then, based on recorded USGS streamflow data.

"This is a great method to capture hard-to-get data that is so important to river management," said Andy Gendaszek, USGS hydrologist and lead author of the journal article. "From this study, we learned at what flow the river begins to scour, or move gravel. We found that most scour occurs at or before the peak of a flood."

The journal article, "The timing of scour and fill in a gravel-bedded river measured with buried accelerometers," by Andrew S. Gendaszek, Christopher S. Magirl, Christiana R. Czuba, and Christopher P. Konrad, is published in the Journal of Hydrology, and available online. It is available as a PDF file and printed copies will be available in July 2013.

New Book Explores the Past and Future of California Condors in the Pacific Northwest

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Tue, 28 May 2013 13:00:00 EDT

North America's largest vulture, the California condor, once graced the skies of the Pacific Northwest from northern California to British Columbia and was deeply woven into the fabric of many Native American cultures. A new book by two federal scientists documents the condors history in the region, from prehistoric times to the early 20th century.

The book, "California Condors in the Pacific Northwest," was written by Jesse D'Elia, a wildlife biologist in the Endangered Species Division of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Susan Haig, a wildlife ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, and is published by Oregon State University Press.

The authors explore the ancient fossil and modern living records, as well as the cultural relationships between Native American tribes and condors. They evaluate the probable causes of regional extinction, explore the likelihood that condors once bred in the region, and assess factors that might be considered in determining if condors could be reintroduced in the Pacific Northwest.

"The California condor is an iconic endangered species and one that captures our collective imagination," said D'Elia. "Reading through the first-hand accounts of early explorers encountering condors, it isn't hard to envision these giant birds once soaring through the skies of the Pacific Northwest in numbers. In addition to stirring our imagination, evaluating the history of condors in the region helps us understand where condors once occurred, how common they were, and why they disappeared. This is all crucial information for devising a science-based recovery strategy."

Haig said, "It was heartening to learn that condors were widely distributed in the Pacific Northwest and probably disappeared for reasons other than habitat loss – most likely their decline was caused by secondary poisoning. This underscores the importance of ongoing research about the availability of habitat and uncontaminated food sources in the modern Pacific Northwest landscape as conservation partners evaluate the role this region might play in condor recovery."

In the foreword to the book, wildlife ecologist Noel Snyder writes, "The re-creation of a viable population of condors in the Northwest would constitute an achievement of substantial importance. This book goes a long way toward justifying such an effort." Snyder was the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist in charge of condor research in the 1980s when the entire population numbered less than 30 birds.

The California condor is still one of the most endangered birds in the world, although efforts by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and conservation partners to breed condors in captivity and release them have resulted in 234 wild condors living in California, Arizona, and Baja California, Mexico. Another 170 condors live in zoos and other captive situations. They remain absent from the northern half of their historic range.

While the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has no immediate plans to reintroduce condors to the Pacific Northwest, the agency is working with conservation partners to assess the feasibility and need for a California condor-release site in the region.

Copies of the book can be ordered online or by calling 1-800-621-2736.

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals, and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit us online. Connect with USWF's Facebook page, follow their tweets, watch their YouTube Channel and download photos from their Flickr page.

Historic Partnership Between Gorge Commission and USGS Scientists Will Create Stronger Rural Communities in National Scenic Area

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Tue, 28 May 2013 12:00:00 EDT

COOK, Wash. — The Columbia River Gorge Commission and the United States Geological Survey have initiated an agreement that will put the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area in the vanguard locally and nationally with an innovative multi-agency resource management and community development partnership. The collaboration is focused on establishing a regional support system designed to help local, regional and federal decision makers better understand the overall economic, environmental, and cultural health of the Columbia River Gorge. It will also advance regional policy, improve resource management and guide community development. The Gorge Commission and USGS anticipate the system of objective, fact-based information will be a significant asset to every community in the Gorge.

When USGS top scientists working in the Columbia River Research Laboratory approached the Gorge Commission to discuss opportunities to partner on a project to strengthen the National Scenic Area's Vital Signs Indicators project, executive director Darren Nichols recognized its value. "The Vital Signs Indicators Project is a successful regional collaboration designed to measure the overall health of National Scenic Area resources and the Gorge economy. This partnership with scientists from the USGS and Northwest universities offers the region a tremendous opportunity to use the VSI for effective, efficient public decisions that will support and enhance the successful future of the Gorge," Nichols said.

In the beginning the partnership will work on building a high level "conceptual model" of the decision support framework. The initial model will be further developed and built into a fully functioning analytical decision tool for the National Scenic Area's resources and economy. In essence, the agencies envision a tool similar to the classic video game SimCity, where citizens, policy makers, elected officials and citizens can explore a variety of scenarios for the future of the Columbia Gorge and the types of decisions that will support a preferred future.

CRGC and USGS staff expect to have the first conceptual model developed this summer and will quickly seek funding and additional partners to work on the functional tools. Department directors and faculty of Washington State University, Portland State University, and Oregon State University have contributed to the scoping and planning of the effort and are expected to continue providing expertise to the model development process.

"USGS expertise in designing and implementing monitoring programs, coupled with our experience developing Decision Support Systems will enable us, and our academic partners, to make a significant contribution to this collaboration with the CRGC," said Steve Waste, director of the USGS Columbia River Research Laboratory, "The Commission is to be commended for initiating an innovative program relevant to both the region, and the nation."

New Publication Tells Western Fisheries Research Center's History of Innovation

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Thu, 16 May 2013 13:00:00 EDT

SEATTLE — The U.S. Geological Survey's Western Fisheries Research Center (WFRC), headquartered in Seattle, has led cutting-edge research on fish and aquatic environments for nearly 80 years – first in the Pacific Northwest, then nationwide and throughout the world. WFRC’s history of research and innovation is captured in a new publication, "Seventy-Five Years of Science: The Story of the Western Fisheries Research Center 1935-2010," by WFRC emeritus scientist Gary A. Wedemeyer.

The WFRC began in the Great Depression as an effort to understand and control the fish diseases that limited the success of hatcheries founded to mitigate the Grand Coulee Dam's destruction of salmon runs in the Columbia River basin. As environmental issues grew more complex and the effects of terrestrial ecology on marine ecology became better understood, the WFRC expanded with a multidisciplinary approach that now draws on the expertise of ecologists, microbiologists, and geneticists as well as fisheries biologists and other scientists. Its six laboratories – in Seattle; on Marrowstone Island and in the Columbia River Gorge, Wash., in Klamath Falls and Newport, Ore., and in Reno, Nev. – provide the technical information that natural resource managers need to ensure the continued survival of fish and fish populations in the western United States. Because food webs, aquatic communities, and ecosystems know no borders, WFRC research is relevant worldwide.

"The WFRC has a proud tradition of solving problems that negatively impact aquatic ecosystems," said WFRC Center Director Jill Rolland. "Working here is both an honor and a responsibility that our employees take seriously."

But it all started in 1935, when the appropriately named biologist Frederic F. Fish was tapped by the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries to found a dedicated lab in the basement of their Seattle laboratory – a "hospital for fish," as an article in a 1939 issue of Newsweek dubbed the novel project. Important discoveries emerged from Fish’s lab from the start.

"These discoveries became the basis for the hatchery operations needed to ensure the continued survival of economically important fish and fish populations both in the United States and abroad," Wedemeyer said.

WFRC research toward recovery plans for endangered species has led to the successful establishment of self-sustaining fish populations in U.S. desert aquatic ecosystems. Other projects have proven critical to the continued survival of Pacific salmon and sturgeon populations throughout the U.S. portion of the Columbia River basin in five Western states. The Center was part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service until 1996, when it came under the aegis of the USGS.

WFRC's history of innovation continues. Since 2008, the Coast Salish Nation and Swinomish Indian Tribal Community have partnered with WFRC on the Coast Salish Tribal Water Quality Project, which blends science and Coast Salish cultural practices to study water quality and its effects on an ecosystem that supports orcas, salmon and other culturally important species. WFRC scientists are studying fish populations and ecosystems within the Elwha River Restoration Project, the largest dam removal project in U.S. history. Others are developing acoustic imaging techniques to safely monitor the endangered Delta smelt, whose status is an ecological bellwether for a region critical to California's economy. Still others are developing strategies to fight the ecological and economic damage wrought by invasive aquatic species introduced into U.S. waters in the ballast tanks of ocean-going ships. WFRC is an International Reference Laboratory for the World Organization of Animal Health in Paris, and its scientists assist more than 170 WOAH member countries to establish effective fish disease control programs.

The publication "Seventy-Five Years of Science: The Story of the Western Fisheries Research Center 1935-2010" is available online. Video of Wedemeyer talking about WFRC is available here.

Low-Flying Airplane Mapping Spokane Area

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:00:00 EDT

Editor: In the public interest and in accordance with FAA regulations, the USGS is announcing this low-level airborne project. Your assistance in informing the local communities is appreciated.

For about one month, an airplane operated under contract to the U.S. Geological Survey will be making low-level flights over a 1000-square-mile area centered over Spokane and including parts of eastern Washington and western Idaho.

Starting around May 18, anyone observing the low-flying plane should not be alarmed if they see it fly over or pass below the horizon. The airplane is operated by experienced pilots who are specially trained for low-level flying.

The survey is designed to measure the magnetic field of the earth, which is related to geologic and hydrologic units that lie below the land surface. It is part of an ongoing USGS program to identify hidden geologic features, such as changes in rock types, ultimately providing a better understanding of the geology and hydrology of the area. For example, the survey may help map shallow faults responsible for a sequence of small earthquakes that occurred during the summer and fall of 2001 inside Spokane city limits.

The airplane is operated by EDCON-PRJ of Lakewood, Colorado, which is working with the Federal Aviation Administration to ensure flights are safe and in accordance with U.S. law.

Observing Volcano Awareness Month in Washington

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Mon, 6 May 2013 13:12:18 EDT

VANCOUVER, Wash. — May is Volcano Awareness Month in Washington state. While no volcanoes in Washington currently show indications of immediate reawakening, experience has taught us that volcanoes often give just a few days' warning before an eruption begins. Monitoring Washington’s volcanoes and developing eruption response plans are important tasks for volcano scientists and public officials. Preparing to survive and recover from Washington’s next volcanic eruption will help keep our communities safe and get back to normal sooner after the next eruption occurs.

"The May 18, 1980, eruption and subsequent smaller eruptions of Mount St. Helens are reminders that Washington state has five active volcanoes within its borders and is vulnerable to the multiple hazards associated with volcanic eruptions," said John Ewert, Scientist-in-Charge of the U.S. Geological Survey's Cascades Volcano Observatory in Vancouver, Washington. “We are striving to improve our monitoring and forecasting capabilities at other hazardous Cascade volcanoes."

Volcano Awareness Month is an opportunity for the state's residents to become familiar with volcano risk within their communities and to take steps that reduce potential effects on people and property. Safety officials and educators are encouraged to discuss the hazards of volcanoes in their communities. Information about volcanoes and their hazards in Washington state are posted on the USGS CVO website. Volcano response measures are highlighted on the Washington State Emergency Management Division's website.

For Volcano Awareness Month in 2013, the USGS introduces a new publication entitled, "Mount St. Helens, 1980 to Now—What’s Going On?”.

Mount St. Helens seized the attention of the world on May 18, 1980 when the largest historical landslide on Earth and a powerful explosive eruption reshaped the volcano, created its distinctive crater, and dramatically modified the surrounding landscape. Fifty-seven people died during that eruption, and more than $1 billion in damages occurred. Quieter eruptions during 1980-1986, and again in 2004-2008 built lava domes within the crater. Scientists at the USGS and the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network maintain a dense monitoring network on Mount St. Helens and other Cascade volcanoes.

This new six-page publication, USGS Fact Sheet 2013-3014, uses text, photos, graphics, and links to dramatic video clips to summarize eruptive events of 1980-1986 and 2004-2008, and the continuing long-term effects of those eruptions. Additional video links provide overviews of monitoring Mount St. Helens, volcano preparedness for the public, and information about the silent forces beneath us that create volcanic eruptions within the Cascade Range. Paper copies of the publication are available from the USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory, and from the visitor facilities at Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument.

Public Open House Canceled at Cascades Volcano Observatory

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 13:53:13 EDT

VANCOUVER, Wash. – The U.S. Geological Survey Cascades Volcano Observatory is cancelling its planned May 4^th public open house due to to the federal budget sequestration.

USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory has hosted a public open house every few years at its offices on the east side of Vancouver since moving there in 2002, but with major budget cuts this year, cannot support "extracurricular" activities on top of the most critical work of studying, monitoring, and responding to volcanic eruptions in the Cascade Range and around the world.

During past day-long open houses, USGS-CVO staff takes a break from regular research and monitoring duties and provides demonstrations of volcano monitoring equipment such as seismographs, specialized GPS units, and infrared sensors. Staff members discuss results of recent local to global volcano research, eruption response, hazard maps, and ash and rock samples using a variety of visual aids. Volcano learning activities for children are a major attraction, as is the opportunity for the public to bring in rock samples for identification.

CVO open houses are a rare opportunity for the public to meet one-on-one with the approximately 55 people who work at the observatory, and learn about the critical work done monitoring active volcanoes. The most recent public open house was in May, 2010. About 1,200 people attended the event.

The cancellation is being taken at a time when the USGS is making tough choices on how best to implement the mandatory budget cuts. The USGS has implemented a hiring freeze; eliminated or significantly reduced participation in all scientific conferences; cancelled all non-mandatory, non-mission critical training; directed a review of contracts and grants to determine which should be delayed, re-scoped, or terminated; and may have to furlough employees for an undetermined amount of time.

The USGS will re-evaluate the future of USGS-CVO open houses as the budget allows. Please continue to check for updated information about Cascade volcanoes and future observatory events on the CVO website.

Recovering Soil Fertility after Forest Fires

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Wed, 3 Apr 2013 14:00:00 EDT

CORVALLIS, Ore.— New scientific findings published in Ecology reveal that interactions of climate, soils, shrubs, and a natural nitrogen fertilization process affect regrowth of forests following wildfire in southern Oregon and northern California. Managers can use this information to consider post-fire management practices, including fertilization and shrub-removal.

Scientists studying forests that burned in 1987 discovered an interesting pattern in a natural fertilization process. The highest levels of natural nitrogen fertilization occurred at cool, dry sites where tree growth is slow and where nitrogen for growth is needed the least. In contrast, the lowest nitrogen additions occurred at warm, moist sites where tree growth and associated nitrogen needs are greatest.

This counterintuitive result occurred because natural nitrogen fertilization by nitrogen-fixing shrubs was suppressed by competition with oaks, maples, and other vegetation where tree growth was greatest, in warm, moist sites.

Nitrogen, an essential nutrient for tree growth, often is lost during a forest fire. An important way to recover forest fertility is an ecological process called biological nitrogen fixation. Some common shrubs, like Ceanothus, form unique relationships with bacteria and convert inert nitrogen gas from the air into forms of nitrogen in the soil that the trees can use for growth. Free-living soil bacteria also fix nitrogen. This natural process is the main source of nitrogen fertility in forests.

The scientists found that the rate at which Ceanothus shrubs added nitrogen to the system could be suppressed as tree biomass increased. Even though warm, wet sites stimulated the growth of nitrogen-fixing shrubs, these conditions stimulated the growth of other plants even more. Eventually, these changes limited the recovery of nitrogen fertility in the most productive sites.

According to Stephanie Yelenik, the lead author of the study, nitrogen additions by Ceanothus shrubs and by free-living soil bacteria provided an average of 7.5 pounds of nitrogen per acre per year. Over the 22 years following the major fire when the forest’s vegetation and nitrogen burned, this added up to about 165 pounds of nitrogen per acre. Although probably insufficient to fully replace wildfire nitrogen losses on the study sites, these contributions were substantial. Yelenik was affiliated with Oregon State University at the time of the study.

"There are important related results. Biological nitrogen fixation involving Ceanothus shrubs was up to 90 times greater than contributions from free-living soil microorganisms," said USGS scientist Steve Perakis, who participated in the study. "The contribution from Ceanothus would be even greater if other plants didn't compete so strongly. So ultimately competition among different plant species governed nitrogen input in the forests studied."

"The loss of nitrogen to wildfire has always been of concern to managers; however, the enormity of this loss only recently has been quantified," said Tom Sensenig, a U.S. Forest Service ecologist. "This study not only informs managers about the importance of shrubs for restoring nitrogen, but identifies the dynamics among species and the specific processes influencing nitrogen fixation and recovery across differing sites. Principally, this new information will help in developing post-fire management options and plans for specific forest types in this region. For example, on drier lower-quality sites, Ceanothus, the most prevalent nitrogen-fixing shrub identified, could be retained to the greatest extent possible by only treating the minimal vegetation necessary to assure seedling survival. On wetter, higher-productivity sites, treating more competitive species at a higher intensity may be more effective for maximizing nitrogen recovery, while benefiting seedling survival as well."

According to Yelenik, without additional fire or other forms of disturbance, Ceanothus largely disappears from productive sites in about 30 years as the tree canopy shades out the understory vegetation. Because Ceanothus is the major player in biological nitrogen fixation, from then on, nitrogen levels may remain consistently low in sites that have the necessary temperature and moisture conditions to promote rapid tree growth. On these sites, there may be opportunities to conduct vegetation management or to allow low-severity fires to burn as a way of encouraging the presence of nitrogen-fixing shrubs in the forest understory.

The study sites were located in forested mountains of the Klamath Region. This region is prone to wildfires, and the frequency and severity of the fires shape vegetation patterns. The study occurred 20 to 22 years after fire in sites that were salvage logged in the first 2 to 3 years after fire and then planted with conifer trees. Perakis believes the results are best applied to this region, but the interactions between climate, soils, shrubs, and natural nitrogen fertilization merit study elsewhere to see if similar constraints to nitrogen fixation occur in other forests recovering from fire.

The publication is Yelenik, S.G., S.S. Perakis, and D.E.Hibbs. 2013. Regional constraints to biological nitrogen fixation in post-fire forest communities. Ecology.

Crowd-Sourcing the Nation: Using Volunteers for Enhanced Data Collection

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Mon, 1 Apr 2013 18:41:01 EDT

The USGS is expanding the involvement of volunteers to enhance data collection about structures for The National Map.

This program, known as The National Map Corps, focuses on encouraging citizens to collect data relating to structures by both adding new features and/or correcting existing data within The National Map database. These structures can include schools, hospitals, post offices, police stations and other important public places.

Collaborative pilot projects in Colorado were recently used to test the concept of crowd-sourcing. While the project is on-going, early indications point to positive results and show the success of using TNMC volunteers to enhance data sets.

Over a trial period of ten months, 143 volunteers collected, improved, or deleted data on more than 6,400 structures in Colorado. The volunteers’ actions were accurate and exceeded USGS quality standards. In the Colorado pilot project the volunteer-collected data showed an improvement of approximately 25 percent in both location and attribute accuracy for existing data points. Completeness, or the extent to which all appropriate features were identified and recorded, was nearly perfect.

The significant results of the Colorado pilot have led to a phased, nation-wide expansion of the crowd-sourcing /volunteer project. The states in the first expansion of TNMC are: Arkansas, Alaska, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, North Dakota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah, Washington, West Virginia

After an evaluation of the quality and procedures of the first group of states, the second set will be made available. Ultimately, by the end of 2013, the third batch of states will complete the expansion of the program.

"The response by volunteers in Colorado exceeded our expectations both in terms of the number of volunteers and the quality of the data they collected”, said Kari Craun, the Director of the USGS National Geospatial Technical Operations Center. “The Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) community represents a fantastic, untapped resource to assist USGS in maintaining data that are part of The National Map.”

While some familiarity with the area that a volunteer chooses is helpful, one doesn’t have to live near a particular place to contribute. The tools on TNMC website, along with ancillary information available on the Internet, are generally sufficient to edit a distant area.

There have been several instances of crowd-sourced geographic information making significant contributions to research and databases in government, private sector, and non-profit organizations. The goal of the TNMC is to provide data for the nation’s primary federal mapping agency in its effort to provide accurate and authoritative spatial data via the web-based National Map.

The citizen geographers/cartographers who participate in this program will make a significant addition to the USGS’s ability to provide accurate information to the public. Data collected by volunteers become part of TNM Structures dataset which is available to users free of charge.

Without a network of volunteers, the desired information would not be collected this year and the existing data would not be updated. TNMC volunteers perform important work that otherwise will not be accomplished in the foreseeable future.

Becoming a volunteer for TNMC is easy; go to the National Map Corps website to learn more and to sign up as a volunteer. If you have access to the Internet and are willing to dedicate some time to editing map data, we hope you will consider participating!

Using the Science of Mount Rainier's Rivers to Reduce Flood Risk

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 19:18:23 EDT

[Editors: The main project page is available online.]

TACOMA, Wash. — Floodplain managers downstream of Mount Rainier are using information in a report recently published by the U.S. Geological Survey to manage flood risks in their communities.

The comprehensive report is the culmination of a cooperative project between Pierce County, King County, and the USGS to assess trends in the movement of sediment in rivers draining Mount Rainier National Park. Findings were incorporated into the Rivers Flood Hazard Management Plan that was adopted by the Pierce County Council on February 19.

Flooding and large sediment loads within Mount Rainier National Park over the past two decades raised concerns that sediment would travel downstream and soon impact flood-prone reaches of the Nisqually, White, Carbon, and Puyallup Rivers outside the park.

Most sediment in the Puyallup and Nisqually Rivers originates from Mount Rainier, a 14,410-foot-tall active volcano containing the largest volume of glacial ice in the lower 48 states. Rockfalls, glaciers, debris flows, and floods act together to transport sediment from the highest flanks of Mount Rainier to Puget Sound. Most sediment added to the rivers eventually arrives at Puget Sound, but larger gravels and cobbles accumulate in river reaches in the Puget Lowland, filling river channels and compromising flood-conveyance capacity.

Sediment is rock and other naturally occurring materials that have been broken down by wind, water, and other processes, then transported by rivers. Large loads of sediment can result in accumulation on a riverbed over time, causing the riverbed to rise. The accumulation of sediment decreases the volume of water that the river can hold before water spills over riverbanks and floods nearby areas.

Scientists assessed historical, present and future sediment loads and evaluated their relation to stream flow helping to find data that enable flood-risk managers to better predict and possibly prevent flooding.

The report, "Geomorphic Analysis of the River Response to Sedimentation Downstream of Mount Rainier, Washington," by Jonathan A. Czuba, Christopher S. Magirl, Christiana R. Czuba, Christopher A. Curran, Kenneth H. Johnson, Theresa D. Olsen, Halley K. Kimball, and Casey C. Gish, is published as U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2012-1242.

Geology + Wells + Pumping = Drops in Water Levels in Columbia Plateau

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Tue, 5 Feb 2013 13:15:00 EDT

[Editors: The new USGS report is on the Web at http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2012/5261/]

TACOMA, Wash. — Geologic barriers, the intermixing of water between aquifers through wells, and groundwater pumping contribute to the pattern of declines of groundwater levels of the Columbia Plateau, according to a report published by the U.S. Geological Survey.

Groundwater from the 44,000-square-mile Columbia Plateau Regional Aquifer, a system in decline since the 1970s, is a critical resource for the nearly 1.3 million people in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, as well as providing irrigation water for the region’s estimated $6 billion-per-year agriculture.

"This study is a beautiful example of USGS scientists doing what we do best: making detailed measurements over a broad region, combining those observations with historical information, interpreting the data within a geologic context, including the use of geologic analogues, and working well with local partners," said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. "Understanding the cause of the groundwater declines is the important first step in solving the problem."

To help resource managers in the region, the USGS Groundwater Resources Program began a study in 2007 of the Columbia Plateau Regional Aquifer System to answer key questions about widespread water-level declines, reductions in groundwater flow into rivers, and the as-yet unknown effects of a changing climate on groundwater resources.

As part of this effort to document changes in the aquifer system, scientists compiled water levels measured in about 60,000 wells over the last 100 years. From a subset of the collected information, scientists developed a groundwater-level trend map for a period of widespread groundwater level changes (1968 to 2009). The average rate of change for all wells was 1.9 feet per year of decline, with 72 percent of all wells declining.

Scientists also analyzed water-level data to define areas of similar groundwater flow conditions. The areas of focus for this analysis included two large areas of continued concern for locals and state agencies: the Umatilla area, Oregon, and the Palouse Slope/eastern Yakima Fold Belt in the Columbia Basin Ground Water Management Area (GWMA) consisting of Adams, Franklin, Grant, and Lincoln Counties, Washington. Scientists found that in these areas groundwater levels have declined hundreds of feet and that geologic barriers to groundwater flow protect some areas from decline while making declines in other areas more severe. Evidence suggests that both groundwater pumping and leakage of groundwater between aquifers through long open intervals in wells may be contributing to the observed groundwater level changes.

Information gathered in the study was used to identify groundwater flow paths and major barriers to groundwater flow. Understanding the features that control the direction of flow will help scientists build a groundwater flow simulation model that water managers can use to test ways of managing the region’s groundwater under different development and climate conditions.

Agencies cooperating in the collection of groundwater data used in the Columbia Plateau Regional Aquifer study: Columbia Basin Ground Water Management Area, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Oregon Water Resources Department, U.S. Department of Energy, Walla Walla Basin Watershed Council, and Washington State Department of Ecology. More information about the study is available online.

The report, "Groundwater Status and Trends for the Columbia Plateau Regional Aquifer System, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho," by Erick R. Burns, Daniel T. Snyder, Jonathan V. Haynes, and Michael S. Waibel, is published as U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5261 and is available on the Web.

Sediment Muddies the Water

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 13:00:00 EDT

Editors: Photos from this study can be found online.

USGS hydrologic technician James Foreman operates an electronic deployment reel from a bridge over the Elwha River, Washington. Two large dams on the Elwha River are being incrementally removed from 2011 to 2013 to restore river function in an important salmon-bearing river. The USGS is sampling sediment from the river during the dam-removal project to quantify the magnitude and timing of sediment released during the restoration project. One third to one half of 24 million cubic yards of sediment is expected to be released and flow downstream during the next 3 to 6 years. (High resolution image)

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — The largest dam-removal project in history has increased river water cloudiness caused by suspended particles, known as turbidity, a process that could affect aquatic life. The dismantling of two large dams on the Elwha River in Washington began in September of last year and has increased river turbidity significantly, even though most of the sediment trapped behind the dams has yet to erode into the river. These findings appear in the first published report on sediment response to the Department of Interior’s Elwha River Restoration Project.

"The construction of dams can cause major disruptions to natural processes on riverways, and we can expect their removal to also have anomalous effects for some time until rivers regain their equilibrium," said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. "What we are learning from the response of the Elwha River ecology to increased sedimentation during dam removal will help guide other large dam removal and river restoration projects in the future."

The U.S. Geological Survey authors examined sediment and water-flow data from the first six months of dam removal and found that dam-removal activities and natural processes both affected the river’s turbidity. Breaching of several temporary earthen dams built to assist with deconstruction caused sustained increases in downstream turbidity. High river flows associated with rainfall also increased turbidity, at measuring stations both above and below the dams.

"During the first six months of dam removal, most of the sediment released was silt and clay, which caused substantial—but not unexpected—turbidity in the river and coastal waters. As dam removal progresses we expect more and more sand and gravel to be released into the river, which will likely help build river bars and slow coastal erosion near the Elwha River mouth," said Jonathan Warrick, lead author of the report and research geologist for the USGS. "Although the river has been quite turbid since dam removal began, most of the sediment-transport action is yet to come."

High turbidity levels can reduce the amount of light penetrating river and coastal waters, which can inhibit aquatic plant growth and affect wildlife that rely on sight to find food and avoid predators.

Removal of the dams is exposing more than 24 million cubic yards of sediment stored in the reservoirs, enough to fill the Seattle Seahawks' football stadium eight times. Using a combination of measurements from a station downstream of the dams, the authors estimated that less than 1 percent of the 24 million cubic yards of sediment stored behind the dams had eroded and moved downstream. Thus, the authors conclude that completion of dam removal in 2012–2013 will expose much more sediment to erosion, resulting in continued turbidity downstream as well as changes in the shape and sedimentary makeup of the riverbed and the coastal landforms around the mouth of the river into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, which is only 5 miles below Elwha Dam.

"Tracking these changes will be important to assessing their effects on habitat for fish and other wildlife in what historically was one of the most productive salmon rivers in Puget Sound," said Warrick. Scientists expect dam removal to cause short-term adverse effects on aquatic life, followed by large-scale ecosystem resurgence once the river’s sediment load returns to a more normal and natural state.

The authors' findings are contained in a brief report in the October 23, 2012, issue of Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union.

Dam decommissioning has become an important means for removing unsafe or obsolete dams and for restoring rivers to a more natural state. Two dams are being removed incrementally during this 2-year project: the 105-foot-high Elwha Dam impounding Lake Aldwell and the 210-foot-high Glines Canyon Dam impounding Lake Mills.

Only part of the total sediment stored behind the dams—9 to 10 million cubic yards—is expected to erode into the river and move downstream to coastal areas. The methods and schedule of dam deconstruction are largely governed by management of this sediment, with controlled drawdowns of the reservoir levels to prevent deleterious impacts of an abrupt release.

More information on the Elwha River Restoration can be found on web pages hosted by the USGS and the National Park Service.

This research and monitoring was funded by both the USGS and the U.S. EPA.

New Tool Guides Chamokane Water Plans

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Tue, 9 Oct 2012 12:30:00 EDT

Editors: Information about the USGS project is available online.

TACOMA, Wash. — Water management in the Chamokane Creek Basin can now be guided by a new computer model to run "what-if" simulations to evaluate the potential effects of groundwater withdrawals on streamflows in the basin, according to a report released today by the U. S. Geological Survey. The report was produced in cooperation with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Washington State Department of Ecology.

"Additional groundwater withdrawals can affect streamflows and existing wells in complex and negative ways, and no one wants to find an adverse impact after a project has already been approved and constructed," said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. "This new USGS model allows communities and agencies to plan for the most beneficial use of groundwater within the basin."

The USGS report is the second part of a two-phase study to describe the basin's water resources and to develop a computer model that can be used to assess how changes in groundwater use in the basin may impact streamflow.

Chamokane Creek Basin is a 179-square-mile area bordering and partially overlapping the Spokane Indian Reservation in southern Stevens County in northeastern Washington State. The Spokane Tribe, the State of Washington, and the federal government are interested in learning more about the effects of additional groundwater development within the basin on Chamokane Creek. Results from the USGS study will be used to evaluate the effects of potential increases in groundwater withdrawals on groundwater and surface-water resources within the basin.

Most of the basin is closed to additional groundwater or surface-water appropriations, with the exception of permit exempt uses of groundwater. Previously, the effects of increased use of groundwater on the surface water system of the basin had been unknown, which spurred the study of the areas' water resources. Model simulations now show a connection between the groundwater and surface-water systems, and that groundwater pumping decreases streamflow in Chamokane Creek.

The report, "Simulation of the Groundwater and Surface-Water Resources and Evaluation of Water Management Alternatives for the Chamokane Creek Basin, Stevens County, Washington," by D. Matthew Ely and Sue C. Kahle, is published as U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5224 and is available online.

Jill Rolland is Western Fisheries Research Center�s New Leader

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 13:30:04 EDT

SEATTLE — The U.S. Geological Survey has named fish pathologist Dr. Jill Rolland the director of its ‪Western Fisheries Research Center (WFRC), headquartered in Seattle.

Since 2010, Rolland has been the director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Center for Animal Health Programs. From 2007 to 2010, she was the center’s assistant director for aquaculture, swine, equine and poultry health programs. She joined the USDA in 2002 as a fish biologist in the aquatic animal health program of the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and became the program manager in 2005. Rolland began her new job at the WFRC on Sept. 10.

Jill Roland, Director, Western Fisheries Research Center (WFRC)

Rolland previously worked part-time at the WFRC and also taught part-time at Shoreline Community College, north of Seattle.

She earned her M.S. and Sc.D. in fish health from the University of Bergen in Norway and her B.S. in Fisheries/Aquaculture from the University of Washington.

“The appointment of Dr. Rolland to head our Western Fisheries Research Center is certain to continue the excellent tradition of cooperation between the USGS and USDA in fisheries health,” said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. “We are so pleased to welcome her back to the USGS in this leadership role to help us find solutions for healthy and abundant fish, healthy ecosystems, and healthy aquatic environments.”

The WFRC is one of 18 USGS science centers engaged in biological research on critical natural resource issues facing the nation. Research in WFRC’s six laboratories -- in Seattle; on Marrowstone Island and in the Columbia River Gorge, Wash., in Klamath Falls and Newport, Ore., and Reno, Nev. -- focuses on the environmental factors responsible for the creation, maintenance, and regulation of fish populations and their interactions in aquatic communities and ecosystems.

Natural resources of particular interest to the center include Pacific salmon; western trout, char, and resident riverine fishes; desert and inland fishes; and aquatic ecosystems including Puget Sound and the Columbia and Klamath River basins. Current research includes studying fish populations and ecosystems and salmon-wildlife interactions within the Elwha River Restoration Project, the largest dam removal project in U.S. history.