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Extensive land-use changes in Iowa have increased erosional processes and the amount of fines deposited on stream beds. Large amounts of fines cover the other bed substrate that are essential habitat for invertebrates and fish. In Iowa and other agricultural Midwestern states, riparian conservation land-uses are being established to minimize sediment inputs to streams. This study compared stream bed substrate composition in reaches adjacent to: riparian forest buffers, grass filters, row-cropped fields, pastures with cattle fenced out of the stream and continuous, rotational and intensively grazed rotational pastures, in three regions of Iowa. The objective was to examine the impacts of the adjacent riparian land-uses...
This community serves to document data and analysis collected by researchers within the Upper Midwest Water Science Center whose mission is to collect high-quality hydrologic data and conduct unbiased, scientifically sound studies of water resources within the Great Lakes and Upper Mississippi Basins. We strive to meet the changing needs of those who use our information—from the distribution, availability, and quality of our water resources to topic-oriented research that addresses current hydrological issues.
Quantifying and evaluating effects of best management practices (BMPs) on water quality is necessary to maximize the effectiveness of BMPs for minimizing pollutants. Watershed-scale evaluation of effects of BMP implementation on fecal bacteria and sediment yield can be estimated using a watershed water quality model, and strategies for identifying critical areas in a watershed can be pollutant specific. The soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) model was used in the Upper Wakarusa watershed (950 km2) in northeast Kansas to explore effectiveness of vegetative filter strip (VFS) lengths applied at the edge of fields to reduce non-point source pollution. The Upper Wakarusa watershed is a high priority total maximum...
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Samples were collected at or near baseflow conditions. Water pH and specific conductance were measured in the field, with specific conductance also measured in the laboratory and calculated based on the ionic strength of samples based on laboratory analyses. Water samples were collected for laboratory analyses using a peristaltic pump with silicon tubing. Samples were filtered through a reusable plexiglass filter holder with nylon screws using 0.45µm polyethersulfone membranes that were rinsed with approximately 20mL of sample water prior to collection. Splits were also collected unfiltered to determine trace metal concentrations associated with suspended sediments. The filtration apparatus was rinsed with deionized...
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The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Minnesota Department of Health, conducted a study to determine the occurrence of unregulated contaminants in source and finished drinking waters throughout Minnesota. Minnesota relies on both groundwater and surface water sources for drinking water, which may be vulnerable to influences such as wastewater discharge and/or agricultural activities. Thus, drinking water facilities apply some form of treatment to source waters prior to distribution. Although drinking water treatment is mostly focused on satisfying regulatory requirements, it may provide secondary benefits for removal of unregulated contaminants. In 2019, 2021, and 2022, paired source and finished drinking...
Summary A computational framework is presented for analyzing the uncertainty in model estimates of water quality benefits of best management practices (BMPs) in two small (<10 km2) watersheds in Indiana. The analysis specifically recognizes the significance of the difference between the magnitude of uncertainty associated with absolute hydrologic and water quality predictions, and uncertainty in estimated benefits of BMPs. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) is integrated with Monte Carlo-based simulations, aiming at (1) adjusting the suggested range of model parameters to more realistic site-specific ranges based on observed data, and (2) computing a scaled distribution function to assess the effectiveness...
Excess phosphorus (P) in freshwater systems has been associated with eutrophication in agro-ecosystems of the US Midwest and elsewhere. A better understanding of processes regulating both soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) and total phosphorus (TP) exports to tile-drains is therefore critical to minimize P losses to streams while maintaining crop yield. This paper investigates SRP and TP dynamics at a high temporal resolution during four spring storms in two tile-drains in the US Midwest. Depending on the storm, median concentrations varied between 0.006–0.025 mg/L for SRP and 0.057–0.176 mg/L for TP. For large storms (>6 cm bulk precipitation), for which macropore flow represented between 43 and 50% of total tile-drain...
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This USGS data release evaluates the impact of historical mining sites on water quality using samples collected in late July 2021 from Big Creek tributaries Coin Creek, Smith Creek, and Monumental Creek in Valley County, Idaho. These data were collected to support a fisheries mining impact assessment in the Middle Fork Salmon River. Specific conductance, pH, and stream temperature were measured in the field. Analyses include major cations and anions, alkalinity, trace metals, total mercury, and methylmercury.
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This data release includes concentrations of contaminants of emerging concern (CEC), by chemical class, for sites sampled within 25 river basins in the U.S. portion of the Great Lakes basin and associated watershed characteristics. The CEC data include concentrations in surface water and sediment samples that were collected during 2010-2014. During the first 3 years, sample sites near mostly urban areas were chosen. The last two years of study focused on other point sources and few nominal reference sites. Water and sediment samples were analyzed for a diverse suite of CECs including, but not limited to, pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals, flame retardants, pesticides, fragrances, and plasticizers. Statistical...
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The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, conducted a study to determine the occurrence of micropollutants in: (1) shallow groundwater near large subsurface treatment systems and rapid infiltration basins and (2) shallow groundwater and soil from an agricultural field that land applies domestic wastewater. Water samples were analyzed with enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methods at the U.S. Geological Survey Minnesota Water Science Center for carbamazepine and sulfamethoxazole. These data support the following publication: Krall, A.L., Elliott, S.M., Erickson, M.L., and Adams, B.A., 2018, Detecting sulfamethoxazole and carbamazepine in groundwater: Is ELISA...
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Water and sediment samples were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency at or near baseflow conditions from 2015-2017 in the East Fork South Fork Salmon River watershed near Yellow Pine, Valley County, Idaho. Soil, rock and tailings samples were collected in June 2015. Sampling focused on Cinnabar Creek, which flows through the Cinnabar mine site, and Sugar Creek, with additional sites selected to place the data into a larger watershed context. Grab samples were taken of the snowpack in January 2017. The water, soil, sediment, and rock samples were as described and the results are presented as separate water and solid data sets.


    map background search result map search result map Water and Sediment Geochemistry Data from the Vicinity of Yellow Pine, Idaho, 2014-2015 Concentrations and laboratory quality-assurance data for sulfamethoxazole and carbamazepine measured in shallow groundwater near wastewater land-application sites by using ELISA methods Surface water and bottom sediment chemical data and landscape variable input datasets for predicting the occurrence of chemicals of emerging concern in 25 U.S. river basins in the Great Lakes basin Upper Midwest Water Science Center Water, Soil, Rock, and Sediment Geochemistry Data from the Vicinity of Yellow Pine, Idaho, 2015-2017 Water chemistry data from the Big Creek and Monumental Creek tributaries of the Lower Middle Fork Salmon River, Idaho, 2021 Contaminant Data from a Survey of Minnesota Source and Finished Drinking Waters, 2019-2022 Water chemistry data from the Big Creek and Monumental Creek tributaries of the Lower Middle Fork Salmon River, Idaho, 2021 Water and Sediment Geochemistry Data from the Vicinity of Yellow Pine, Idaho, 2014-2015 Water, Soil, Rock, and Sediment Geochemistry Data from the Vicinity of Yellow Pine, Idaho, 2015-2017 Concentrations and laboratory quality-assurance data for sulfamethoxazole and carbamazepine measured in shallow groundwater near wastewater land-application sites by using ELISA methods Contaminant Data from a Survey of Minnesota Source and Finished Drinking Waters, 2019-2022 Upper Midwest Water Science Center Surface water and bottom sediment chemical data and landscape variable input datasets for predicting the occurrence of chemicals of emerging concern in 25 U.S. river basins in the Great Lakes basin