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Watershed-scale water quality and water availability are affected by the interaction between the landscape and surface and subsurface flows at multiple scales. Wide-spread agriculture leads to diffuse non-point sources of contamination by agricultural chemicals. Localized exchanges of surface water and groundwater through highly reactive streambeds can attenuate the impact of agricultural chemicals on water quality. Thus, understanding the patterns and trends in water quality within a watershed requires analyses at multiple scales to understand hydrologic processes and the integration of hydrology and water quality information. The main objective of my research is to develop a better understanding of the role of...
The goal of my biodegradation research is to understand the processes controlling the rate of biodegradation of contaminants in the subsurface. This understanding will form the basis of methods to increase degradation rates without causing further degradation of groundwater quality. Recent work has focused on the fate of crude oil and agricultural nitrate contamination in the subsurface. Specific objectives for the crude oil research include: (a) determine the rate that contaminants are transported from the source zone; (b) provide an estimate of how long the spilled oil will continue to pollute the groundwater; and (c) determine the fate of products of biodegradation or so-called “secondary water quality impacts”...
Toxic contaminants and naturally occurring substances found in the subsurface can exist in multiple phases, and undergo complex reactions including biodegradation. A comprehensive and quantitative understanding of the processes controlling the fate and transport of subsurface contaminants is necessary to develop policies and strategies for managing water-quality conditions in different land use and environmental settings. Numerical models that simulate flow, transport, and reactions are useful tools for understanding the fate of chemicals in the subsurface when used in conjunction with field and laboratory studies. The research efforts of this project consider flow and chemical behavior in the saturated and unsaturated...
Description of Work Since 2010, connecting channels have been included in each of the Great Lakes’ Lake Management Plans (LaMPs). Lake Ontario now includes both the Niagara River and the St. Lawrence River. The Niagara River is well characterized by a number of long-term programs, but because of the lack of tributary water-quality data, the St. Lawrence River and its tributaries constitute a data gap in the information needed for the Lake Ontario to fulfill its goals. Critical information needs, including basic water-quality parameters, total suspended solids, nutrients and flow data. These data are needed to aid in the identification of sources of nutrient and sediment loading to the St. Lawrence. The monitoring...
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PROBLEM The valley‐fill aquifer in the lower Fall Creek valley (designated as aquifer 4, fig. 1), within the Towns of Dryden and Groton, was mapped by Miller (2000) and identified as one of 17 unconsolidated aquifers in Tompkins County that need to be studied in more detail. The east end of the valley (near the Tompkins and Cortland County border) is on the backside of a large morainal plug, which is part of the Valley Heads Moraine. A large system of springs discharge from the backside of the moraine and forms part of the headwaters to Fall Creek. The valley‐fill aquifer thins and pinches out to the west (figs. 1 and 2)— where the valley is floored by bedrock and becomes a “hanging valley” to Cayuga Lake trough....
Summary:The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) New York Water Science Center (NYWSC) operates a monitoring network of streamgages in New York where water-resources information, collected in near-real time, can be used for computing long-term low-flow statistics. This study aims to determine low-flow, mean annual and mean monthly flow statistics and for all continuous streamgages in New York State, and to complete a thorough statistical analysis of potential trends in these data. Regional regression equations will be developed to estimate the computed statistics for ungaged locations in New York from the relation of computed statistics at gaged locations to various physical and climate characteristics of that region....
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Introduction Recent trends analysis examining the effectiveness of tidal wetland regulations and the regulatory program of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) revealed that the regulations and regulatory program were highly effective in stemming the historic "fill and build" activities. However, the trends also revealed that tidal wetlands—specifically, low marshes—were disappearing. To help determine the cause(s) of this loss, the NYSDEC, in collaboration with Stony Brook University's School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), established a monitoring program in 2008 that has been conducted on and in the tidal wetlands of East Creek,...
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Problem - The purpose of this project is to create a watershed GIS (Geographic Information System) to support the comprehensive cleanup and restoration of Onondaga Lake that is underway. A GIS is a computer system capable of capturing, storing, analyzing, and displaying geographically referenced information; that is, data identified according to location. Given the broad scope of the Onondaga Lake Partnership's (OLP) mission, a GIS is a powerful tool that can organize, store, and share information pertinent to the management of the natural resources of the Onondaga Lake watershed. The OLP GIS will be used for land use planning, resource management, scientific monitoring, and data presentation. The project has...
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Problem – Currently, swim advisories or closings are issued by beach managers based on standards for concentrations of bacterial indicators such as Escherichia coli (E. coli). Standard culture methods for these bacteria take at least 18-24 hours before results are available. At most Great Lakes beaches, the beach is posted with an advisory or closing or is determined to be acceptable for swimming on the basis of the previous day’s E. coli concentration. Sanitary conditions may change overnight and even throughout the day (Boehm and others, 2002) making decisions made from previous days information incorrect. Because of this time-lag issue, water-resource managers are seeking solutions that provide near real-time...
Categories: Data, Project; Types: Downloadable, Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, Shapefile; Tags: Contaminants, Microbial, Contaminants, Microbial, Contaminants, Natural, Contaminants, Natural, Contaminants, Organic, All tags...
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Significant changes in nitrogen loads to Jamaica Bay have likely occurred with progressive improvements to Water Pollution Control Plants (WCWPs) that discharge into the Bay. Data available from the New York City Department of Environmental Protection and others will be used to determine loads from WPCPs, combined sewer overflows, and the atmosphere. Selected wells within the USGS water quality database, including those near the landfills that are immediately adjacent to Jamaica Bay, will be used to determine concentrations of nutrients in shallow ground water that enter the bay from ground water seepage. To facilitate evaluation of ground water loads, an existing USGS Finite element model that simulates sub...
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Water scarcity is a growing concern in Texas, where surface water is derived almost entirely from rainfall. Changes in air temperature and precipitation patterns associated with global climate change are anticipated to regionally affect the quality and quantity of inland surface waters and consequently their suitability as habitat for freshwater life. In addition to directly affecting resident organisms and populations, these changes in physicochemical traits of aquatic habitats may favor the establishment of harmful invasive species. As conflicts over the use of water resources grow in intensity, this information will become important for fish and wildlife managers to anticipate impacts of climate change on trust...
a) Developing defensible conceptual models of processes influencing the mass transfer of inorganic contaminants between aqueous and solid phases. b) Translating conceptual models into quantitative models that can be used to predict the influence of mass-transfer processes on contaminant fate and transport in field applications. c) Developing approaches to obtain parameters required to describe contaminant mass transfer in quantitative fate and transport models that are, to the maximum extent possible, independent of field observations. d) Testing these approaches in laboratory experimental studies, field experimental studies, and field-scale plume characterization studies.
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Introduction High nitrate concentrations are a common concern among many purveyors, including the Suffolk County Water Authority (SCWA), the largest supplier of water to residents in Suffolk County. Typically, the amount of nitrate in groundwater is related to land use, where the greatest concentrations are observed in agricultural regions. In many areas, the nitrate concentration has increased steadily in recent years, even in areas that are no longer farmed and are now sewered. A statistical analysis for trends of over 20 years in nitrate concentration data from SCWA wells is needed to determine the susceptibility of supply-wells to exceed the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for nitrate. This information is essential...
Categories: Data, Project; Types: Downloadable, Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, Shapefile; Tags: Contaminants, Natural, Contaminants, Natural, Contaminants, natural, Cooperative Water Program, GW Model, All tags...
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Background The North Atlantic Coastal Plain (NACP) covers a land area of approximately 34,000 mi 2 along the eastern seaboard of the United States from Long Island, N.Y., southward to the northern portion of North Carolina. This area is underlain by a thick wedge of sedimentary deposits that form a complex groundwater system in which the sands and gravels function as confined aquifers, and the silts and clays function as confining units. These confined aquifers of the NACP constitute a major source of water for public and domestic supply for the nearly 27 million people living in the region, as well as being important source of water for industrial and agricultural purposes. Increases in population and changes...
Categories: Data, Project; Types: Downloadable, Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, Shapefile; Tags: Cooperative Water Program, Delaware, Focused Assessments, Focused Assessments, Focused Assessments, All tags...
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Background Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is the hereditary material in organisms that contains the biological instructions for building and maintaining them. The chemical structure of DNA is the same for all organisms, but differences exist in the order of the DNA building blocks, known as base pairs. Unique sequences provide a means to identify individual species and detect their presence within aquatic or terrestrial environments. Environmental DNA (eDNA) is nuclear or mitochondrial DNA that is shed from an organism into the environment. Sources of eDNA include feces, mucous, and gametes; shed skin; and carcasses. In aquatic environments, eDNA is diluted and distributed by currents and other hydrological processes....
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Problem - In August 2000, eleven sites were sampled from 9 streams within the Croton watershed for pharmaceuticals and other organic compounds associated with wastewater as part of a national study of these compounds in streams receiving wastewater discharges. Results from the national study indicated that streams in the Croton Reservoir downstream of sewage treatment plants had concentrations of target compounds. Detected compounds included pharmaceuticals, detergent degradates, insecticides, caffeine, and other organic compounds (Kolpin and others, 2002). The results indicate that these compounds are commonly present in streams below wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Many of these compounds have not been...
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Southern Nevada Water Authority will add new modeling and analytical capabilities to tools developed as part of a previous WaterSMART Climate Analysis Tools Grant that assessed impacts of climate change on water quality and sediment transport in Lake Mead. Project results are intended to increase an understanding of how water quality characteristics and nutrient levels in Lake Mead may be affected by climate change.
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Researchers with U.S. Geological Survey Water Science Centers in Iowa, Kansas and Massachusetts collaborated to conduct a comprehensive literature search of both published and ongoing research (2000-present) that sheds light on the interactions between climate change, agriculture and water quality across the combined geographies of the Eastern Tallgrass Prairie and Big Rivers LCC and neighboring Upper Midwest and Great Lakes LCC. Project investigators compiled the information in a resource library by geographic location, providing an organized structure for future examination of all research related to interactions between climate change, agriculture and water quality in these two regions.
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An Iowa State University research team in collaboration with Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge and other partners has discovered that strategically adding a little bit of prairie back onto the agricultural landscape can result in many benefits – for water and soil quality, habitat for wildlife and pollinators, as well as opportunities for biomass production. With assistance from ETPBR member USDA Farm Service Agency, research has shown how small amounts of native prairie vegetation integrated within corn and soybean row crops produce environmental benefits at levels disproportionately greater than their extent and in a cost effective manner. The project has now transitioned to demonstration and evaluation of the...
Categories: Data, Project; Types: Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: 2013, 2014, Academics & scientific researchers, Applications and Tools, Conservation Design, All tags...
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Problem The shallow groundwater of Nassau and Suffolk Counties is prone to contamination from current land-use, including agricultural, residential, and recreational. The aquifer system of Long Island is highly susceptible to human-derived contamination, in particular, because the soils and underlying sediments are generally composed of sandy, permeable materials that allow contaminants to move readily from the land surface into the groundwater below. Of increasing concern are the human-derived contaminants stemming from past and present uses of pesticides. In addition to the threat of direct runoff to adjacent waterbodies, pesticide transport through the shallow aquifer from inland sources may discharge to the...
map background search result map search result map Modeling and Projecting the Influence of Climate Change on Texas Surface Waters and their Aquatic Biotic Communities A Study of Climate Change Impacts on Water Quality and Internal Nutrient Recycling in Lake Mead, Arizona-Nevada Literature search on environmental affects of agricultural practices Prairie STRIPS Onondaga Lake Watershed Geographic Information System Assessment of Nutrient Loading to Jamaica Bay, Gateway National Recreation Area, New York Monitoring Tidal Water Elevation and Water Quality to Assess Tidal Wetland Loss in Four Embayments of Long Island Sound, New York Trends in Nitrate Concentrations in Public Water-Supply Wells, Suffolk County, New York, 1982-2008 Organic Wastewater Contaminants in New York City Watersheds Emerging Methods for Detection and their Potential for Inventorying Brook Trout Populations in Streams of the Western Adirondacks New York Nowcast, Recreational Beaches of New York Groundwater Availability of the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Sentinel Monitoring for New and Legacy Pesticides in the Shallow Groundwater of Long Island Geohydrology of the Valley‐fill Aquifer in the Lower Fall Creek Valley, Town of Dryden, Tompkins County, New York Assessment of Nutrient Loading to Jamaica Bay, Gateway National Recreation Area, New York Geohydrology of the Valley‐fill Aquifer in the Lower Fall Creek Valley, Town of Dryden, Tompkins County, New York Monitoring Tidal Water Elevation and Water Quality to Assess Tidal Wetland Loss in Four Embayments of Long Island Sound, New York Onondaga Lake Watershed Geographic Information System A Study of Climate Change Impacts on Water Quality and Internal Nutrient Recycling in Lake Mead, Arizona-Nevada Emerging Methods for Detection and their Potential for Inventorying Brook Trout Populations in Streams of the Western Adirondacks Trends in Nitrate Concentrations in Public Water-Supply Wells, Suffolk County, New York, 1982-2008 Sentinel Monitoring for New and Legacy Pesticides in the Shallow Groundwater of Long Island Organic Wastewater Contaminants in New York City Watersheds Prairie STRIPS New York Nowcast, Recreational Beaches of New York Groundwater Availability of the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Modeling and Projecting the Influence of Climate Change on Texas Surface Waters and their Aquatic Biotic Communities Literature search on environmental affects of agricultural practices