http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/ New Publications of the CA USGS Feb 21, 2012 http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2011/1297/ target="_blank" http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2011/1297/images/cover.jpg Feb 16, 2012 Publication http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2011/3060/ target="_blank" images/3060_2.png The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Federal, State, and local agencies, obtains a large amount of data pertaining to the groundwater resources of California each water year (October 1-September 30). These data constitute a valuable database for developing an improved understanding of the water resources of the State. This Fact Sheet serves as an index to groundwater data for Water Year 2010. It contains a map of California showing the number of wells (by county) with available water-level or water-quality data for Water Year 2010 and instructions for obtaining this and other groundwater information contained in the databases of the U.S. Geological Survey, California Water Science Center. Jun 27, 2011 Publication http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2012/3004/ target="_blank" images/3004.png 4^3-) and is also present in all life forms as an essential component of cellular material. In natural ecosystems, phosphorus is derived from the erosion of rocks and is conserved for plant growth as it is returned to the soil through animal waste and the decomposition of plant and animal tissue; but in agricultural systems, a portion of the phosphorus is removed with each harvest, especially since phosphorus is concentrated in the seeds and fruit. Phosphorus is added to soil by using chemical fertilizers, manure, and composted materials. Agricultural use of chemical phosphorus fertilizer, in the United States, in 2008 was 4,247,000 tons, which is an increase of 25 percent since 1964 (http://www.ers.usda.gov/Data/FertilizerUse/). Widely grown corn, soybeans, and wheat use the greatest amount of phosphorus fertilizer among agricultural crops.]]> Jan 27, 2012 Publication http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2011/5154/ target="_blank" http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2011/5154/images/cover.jpg Groundwater quality in the approximately 3,900-square-mile San Diego Drainages Hydrogeologic Province (hereinafter San Diego) study unit was investigated from May through July 2004 as part of the Priority Basin Project of the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The study unit is located in southwestern California in the counties of San Diego, Riverside, and Orange. The GAMA Priority Basin Project is being conducted by the California State Water Resources Control Board in collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Dec 20, 2011 Publication http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2011/3061/ target="_blank" http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2011/3061/images/coverthb.gif Floods, hurricanes, and longer-term changes in climate and land use can have profound effects on water quality due to shifts in hydrologic flow paths, water residence time, precipitation patterns, connectivity between rivers and uplands, and many other factors. In order to understand and respond to changes in hydrology and water quality, resource managers and policy makers have a need for accurate and early indicators, as well as the ability to assess possible mechanisms and likely outcomes. In-situ optical sensors-those making continuous measurements of constituents by absorbance or fluorescence properties in the environment at timescales of minutes to years-have a long history in oceanography for developing highly resolved concentrations and fluxes, but are not commonly used in freshwater systems. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has developed the Aquatic Real-Time Monitoring Network, with high-resolution optical data collection for organic carbon, nutrients, and sediment in large coastal rivers, along with continuous measurements of discharge, water temperature, and dissolved inorganic carbon. Jun 17, 2011 Publication http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2011/1292/ target="_blank" http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2011/1292/images/cover.jpg The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Water Agency Division of the Santa Barbara County Department of Public Works, is evaluating the geohydrology and water availability of the Cuyama Valley, California. As part of this evaluation, the USGS installed the Cuyama Valley Kirschenmann Road multiple-well monitoring site (CVKR) in the South-Main subregion of the Cuyama Valley. The CVKR well site is designed to allow for the collection of depth-specific water-level and water-quality data. Data collected at this site provides information about the geology, hydrology, geophysics, and geochemistry of the local aquifer system, thus, enhancing the understanding of the geohydrologic framework of the Cuyama Valley. This report presents the construction information and initial geohydrologic data collected from the CVKR monitoring site, along with a brief comparison to selected supply and irrigation wells from the major subregions of the Cuyama Valley. Dec 15, 2011 Publication http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2011/5156/ target="_blank" http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2011/5156/images/cover.jpg Agua Caliente Spring, in downtown Palm Springs, California, has been used for recreation and medicinal therapy for hundreds of years and currently (2008) is the source of hot water for the Spa Resort owned by the Agua Caliente Band of the Cahuilla Indians. The Agua Caliente Spring is located about 1,500 feet east of the eastern front of the San Jacinto Mountains on the southeast-sloping alluvial plain of the Coachella Valley. The objectives of this study were to (1) define the geologic structure associated with the Agua Caliente Spring; (2) define the source(s), and possibly the age(s), of water discharged by the spring; (3) ascertain the seasonal and longer-term variability of the natural discharge, water temperature, and chemical characteristics of the spring water; (4) evaluate whether water-level declines in the regional aquifer will influence the temperature of the spring discharge; and, (5) estimate the quantity of spring water that leaks out of the water-collector tank at the spring orifice. Dec 7, 2011 Publication http://ca.water.usgs.gov/pubs/JohnsonBelitz2012.pdf target="_blank" images/JohnsonBelitz2012.png Urban irrigation is an important component of the hydrologic cycle in many areas of the arid and semiarid western United States. This paper describes a new approach that uses readily available datasets to estimate the location and rate of urban irrigation. The approach provides a repeatable methodology at 1/3-square-km resolution across a large urbanized area (-square-km). For this study, Landsat Thematic Mapper satellite imagery, air photos, climatic records, and a land-use map were used to: (1) identify the fraction of irrigated landscaping in urban areas, and (2) estimate the monthly rate of irrigation being applied to those areas. The area chosen for this study was the San Fernando Valley in Southern California. Dec 7, 2011 Publication http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2011/1271/ target="_blank" images/1271.png Beach water and sediment samples were collected along the Gulf of Mexico coast to assess differences in contaminant concentrations before and after landfall of Macondo-1 well oil released into the Gulf of Mexico from the sinking of the British Petroleum Corporation's Deepwater Horizon drilling platform. Samples were collected at 70 coastal sites on the Gulf of Mexico between May 7 and July 7, 2010, to document baseline, "pre-landfall" conditions. A subset of these sites was resampled during October 4 to 14, 2010, after oil had made landfall on the Gulf of Mexico coast ("post-landfall") to determine if actionable concentrations of oil were present along shorelines. Oct 19, 2011 Publication http://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/610/ target="_blank" http://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/610/images/coverthb.jpg Since 2003, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Sonoma County Water Agency, has been collecting chemical, microbiological, and isotopic data from surface-water and groundwater sites in Mendocino and Sonoma Counties, California. The investigation is being conducted to determine water-quality baseline conditions for the Russian River during the summer months and to characterize the water-quality in the area of the Sonoma County Water Agency's water-supply facility where Russian River water is diverted and treated by riverbank filtration. This report is a compilation of the hydrologic and water-quality data collected from 14 Russian River sites, 8 tributary sites, 1 gravel-terrace pit site, 14 groundwater wells, and a wastewater treatment plant between the city of Ukiah and the town of Duncans Mills for the period August 2005 through October 2010. Oct 13, 2011 Publication http://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/600/ target="_blank" http://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/600/images/sac11-0395_cover_thumbnail.jpg Water and sediment (bed and suspended) were collected from January 2008 through October 2009 from 12 sites in 3 of the largest watersheds along California's Central Coast (Pajaro, Salinas, and Santa Maria Rivers) and analyzed for a suite of pesticides by the U.S. Geological Survey. Water samples were collected in each watershed from the estuaries and major tributaries during 4 storm events and 11 dry season sampling events in 2008 and 2009. Bed sediments were collected from depositional zones at the tributary sampling sites three times over the course of the study. Suspended sediment samples were collected from the major tributaries during the four storm events and in the tributaries and estuaries during three dry season sampling events in 2009. Sep 30, 2011 Publication http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2011/5058/ target="_blank" http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2011/5058/images/cover.jpg Groundwater quality in the approximately 1,000 square mile (2,590-square-km) Monterey Bay and Salinas Valley Basins (MS) study unit was investigated as part of the Priority Basin Project of the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The study unit is located in central California in Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Luis Obispo Counties. The GAMA Priority Basin Project is being conducted by the California State Water Resources Control Board in collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2011/3089/ Groundwater Quality in the Monterey Bay and Salinas Valley Groundwater Basins, California: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2011-3089 Sep 26, 2011 Publication http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2011/5052/ target="_blank" http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2011/5052/images/cover.jpg Groundwater quality in the approximately 460-square-mile Santa Clara River Valley study unit was investigated from April through June 2007 as part of the Priority Basin Project of the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The GAMA Priority Basin Project is conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in collaboration with the California State Water Resources Control Board and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The Santa Clara River Valley study unit contains eight groundwater basins located in Ventura and Los Angeles Counties and is within the Transverse and Selected Peninsular Ranges hydrogeologic province. http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2011/3055/ Groundwater Quality in the Santa Clara River Valley, California: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2011-3055 Sep 26, 2011 Publication http://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/609 target="_blank" http://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/609/images/cover.jpg Groundwater quality in the 633-square-mile Northern Coast Ranges (NOCO) study unit was investigated by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) from June to November 2009, as part of the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program's Priority Basin Project (PBP) and the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA). Sep 19, 2011 Publication http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2011/5141/ target="_blank" http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2011/5141/images/cover.jpg In 2009, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the City of Santa Cruz, conducted bathymetric and topographic surveys to determine the water storage capacity of, and the loss of capacity owing to sedimentation in, Loch Lomond Reservoir in Santa Cruz County, California. The topographic survey was done as a supplement to the bathymetric survey to obtain information about temporal changes in the upper reach of the reservoir where the water is shallow or the reservoir may be dry, as well as to obtain information about shoreline changes throughout the reservoir. Sep 20, 2011 Publication http://ca.water.usgs.gov/pubs/frambelitz2011pharms.pdf target="_blank" http://ca.water.usgs.gov/images/framarticle.png Pharmaceutical compounds may enter the environment by many pathways, including discharge of treated wastewater, seepage from landfills, septic systems, and sewer lines, and runoff from animal wastes and land application of manure fertilizers. Pharmaceutical compounds were detected at low concentrations in 2.3% of 1231 samples of groundwater used for public drinking-water supply in California. Samples were collected statewide for the California State Water Resources Control Board's Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html Part or all of this report is presented in Portable Document Format (PDF); the latest version of Adobe Reader or similar software is required to view it. Download the latest version of Adobe Reader, free of charge Jul 05, 2011 Publication http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2009/5219/ target="_blank" http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2009/5219/images/cover.jpg A watershed model using Hydrologic Simulation Program-FORTRAN (HSPF) was developed for the urbanized Chino Basin in southern California to simulate the transport of pathogen indicator bacteria, evaluate the flow-component and land-use contributions to bacteria contamination and water-quality degradation throughout the basin, and develop a better understanding of the potential effects of climate and land-use change on water quality. Jul 20, 2011 Publication http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1745-6584.2011.00828.x/full target="_blank" http://ca.water.usgs.gov/images/groundWaterCover.gif Hi-Desert Water District (HDWD), the primary water-management agency in the Warren groundwater subbasin, California (Figure 1), plans to construct a waste water treatment plant to reduce future septic-tank effluent from reaching the groundwater system. The treated waste water will be reclaimed by recharging the groundwater basin via recharge ponds as part of a larger conjunctive-use strategy. HDWD wishes to identify the least-cost conjunctive-use strategies that control groundwater levels, meet California State regulations, meet water-supply demand, and identify the optimal locations of new pumping wells. Jun 02, 2011 Publication http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2010/5249/ target="_blank" http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2010/5249/images/cover.jpg The Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC) Twentynine Palms, California, overlies the Surprise Spring, Deadman, Mesquite, and Mainside subbasins of the Morongo groundwater basin in the southern Mojave Desert. Groundwater pumpage in the Surprise Spring subbasin has caused groundwater levels in the subbasin to decline by as much as 190 feet (ft) from 1953 through 2007. Groundwater from the other subbasins contains relatively high concentrations of fluoride, arsenic, and (or) dissolved solids, making it unsuitable for potable uses without treatment. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the MCAGCC, completed this study to better understand groundwater resources in the area and to help establish a long-term strategy for regional water-resource development. Jun 28, 2011 Publication http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2011/3061/ target="_blank" http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2011/3061/images/coverthb.gif The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has developed the Aquatic Real-Time Monitoring Network, with high-resolution optical data collection for organic carbon, nutrients, and sediment in large coastal rivers, along with continuous measurements of discharge, water temperature, and dissolved inorganic carbon. The collecting of continuous water-quality data in the Nation's waterways has revealed temporal trends and spatial patterns in constituents that traditional sampling approaches fail to capture, and will serve a critical role in monitoring, assessment and decision-making in a rapidly changing landscape. Jun 17, 2011 Publication http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2011/3060/ target="_blank" images/3060.png The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Federal, State, and local agencies, obtains a large amount of data pertaining to the groundwater resources of California each water year (October 1-September 30). These data constitute a valuable database for developing an improved understanding of the water resources of the State. This Fact Sheet serves as an index to groundwater data for Water Year 2010. It contains a map of California showing the number of wells (by county) with available water-level or water-quality data for Water Year 2010 (fig. 1) and instructions for obtaining this and other groundwater information contained in the databases of the U.S. Geological Survey, California Water Science Center. From 1985 to 1993, data were published in the annual report "Water Resources Data for California, Volume 5. Ground-Water Data"; prior to 1985, the data were published in U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Papers. Jun 27, 2011 Publication http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2011/1091/ target="_blank" http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2011/1091/images/cover_ofr_2011-1091_thumbnail.jpg Each year, over 550 million people visit California's public beaches. To protect beach-goers from exposure to waterborne disease, California state law requires water-quality monitoring for fecal indicator bacteria (FIB), such as enterococci and Escherichia coli (E. coli), at beaches having more than 50,000 yearly visitors. FIB are used to assess the microbiological quality of water because, although not typically disease causing, they are correlated with the occurrence of certain waterborne diseases. Tests show that FIB concentrations occasionally exceed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) public health standards for recreational water in Malibu Lagoon and at several Malibu beaches (Regional Water Quality Control Board, 2009). May 13, 2011 Publication http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2010/5228/ target="_blank" http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2010/5228/images/cover.jpg A comprehensive database was assembled for the Sacramento, San Joaquin, and Santa Ana Basins in California on nutrient concentrations, flows, and point and nonpoint sources of nutrients for 1975-2004. Most of the data on nutrient concentrations (nitrate, ammonia, total nitrogen, orthophosphate, and total phosphorus) were from the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water Information System database (35.2 percent), the California Department of Water Resources (21.9 percent), the University of California at Davis (21.6 percent), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's STOrage and RETrieval database (20.0 percent). Mar 28, 2011 Publication http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2010/5260/ target="_blank" http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2010/5260/images/cover.jpg Improved flood-frequency information is important throughout California in general and in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Basin in particular, because of an extensive network of flood-control levees and the risk of catastrophic flooding. A key first step in updating flood-frequency information is determining regional skew. Mar 24, 2011 Publication http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2011/3006/ target="_blank" http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2011/3006/images/California_map.png Groundwater provides more than 40 percent of California's drinking water. To protect this vital resource, the State of California created the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The Priority Basin Project of the GAMA Program provides a comprehensive assessment of the State's groundwater quality and increases public access to groundwater-quality information. The Southern Sacramento Valley is one of the study units being evaluated. Apr 27, 2011 Publication http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2011/3005/ target="_blank" http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2011/3005/images/California_map.png Groundwater provides more than 40 percent of California's drinking water. To protect this vital resource, the State of California created the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The Priority Basin Project of the GAMA Program provides a comprehensive assessment of the State's groundwater quality and increases public access to groundwater-quality information. The Middle Sacramento Valley is one of the study units being evaluated. Apr 27, 2011 Publication http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2011/3004/ target="_blank" http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2011/3004/images/California_map.png Groundwater provides more than 40 percent of California's drinking water. To protect this vital resource, the State of California created the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The Priority Basin Project of the GAMA Program provides a comprehensive assessment of the State's groundwater quality and increases public access to groundwater-quality information. The Northern Sacramento Valley is one of the study units being evaluated. Apr 27, 2011 Publication http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2011/5002/ target="_blank" http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2011/5002/images/cover.jpg Groundwater quality in the Southern, Middle, and Northern Sacramento Valley study units was investigated as part of the Priority Basin Project of the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The study units are located in California's Central Valley and include parts of Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Placer, Sacramento, Shasta, Solano, Sutter, Tehama, Yolo, and Yuba Counties. The GAMA Priority Basin Project is being conducted by the California State Water Resources Control Board in collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Apr 27, 2011 Publication http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2010/5228/ target="_blank" http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2010/5228/images/cover.jpg A comprehensive database was assembled for the Sacramento, San Joaquin, and Santa Ana Basins in California on nutrient concentrations, flows, and point and nonpoint sources of nutrients for 1975-2004. Most of the data on nutrient concentrations (nitrate, ammonia, total nitrogen, orthophosphate, and total phosphorus) were from the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water Information System database (35.2 percent), the California Department of Water Resources (21.9 percent), the University of California at Davis (21.6 percent), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's STOrage and RETrieval database (20.0 percent). Mar 28, 2011 Publication