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Effects of Surface-Water Diversions on the Verde River, Central, Arizona –USGS, in cooperation with the Verde River Basin Partnership, the Town of Clarkdale, and Yavapai County, assessed groundwater contributions (or "base flow") to the Verde River in Central Arizona. Surveys were done to look at base flow at many locations over a short period of time along 51 river miles of the Verde River. The information was used to determine the effects of human alterations, such as gravity-fed ditch diversions, on flows in the Verde River through different seasons. (Full report)

Current and Future Groundwater Withdrawals in Coastal New Jersey –USGS, in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, simulated effects of alternative withdrawal strategies on groundwater flow in the unconfined Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system and the confined Atlantic City 800-foot sand, which are major sources of groundwater in the coastal region. The study area encompasses Atlantic County and parts of Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Ocean, Cape May, and Cumberland Counties in New Jersey. A groundwater flow model was used to simulate scenarios under three possible withdrawal conditions: average 1998 to 2006 withdrawals, full-allocation withdrawals, and projected 2050-demand withdrawals. Results were compared with baseline conditions (no withdrawals) to determine where and when base-flow deficits may be occurring and may be expected to occur in the future. (Full report)

Simulated Changes to Lake Maumelle Water Supply in Arkansas –USGS, in cooperation with Central Arkansas Water, developed hydrodynamic and water-quality models to examine the hydrology and water quality in the Lake Maumelle watershed and changes that might occur as the watershed becomes more urbanized and timber harvesting becomes more extensive. Lake Maumelle is the primary drinking water source for approximately 400,000 residents of Pulaski, Saline, and Grant Counties, Arkansas.  As the Lake Maumelle watershed becomes increasingly more urbanized and timber harvesting becomes more extensive, concerns about the sustainability of the quality of the water supply also have increased. (Full report; Technical Announcement)

Hydrologic Datasets to Aid Water Management in the Upper Klamath Basin, Oregon –USGS, in cooperation the Klamath Tribes and in collaboration with Klamath Basin Rangeland Trust, Klamath Watershed Partnership, Sustainable Northwest, The Nature Conservancy, Upper Klamath Water Users Association, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, has developed hydrologic datasets for the upper Klamath Basin of south-central Oregon that can help water managers identify and prioritize water uses that could be voluntarily set aside and reallocated to yield an additional 30,000 acre feet of water to Upper Klamath Lake. The datasets can be used by water managers to display the geographical distribution of evapotranspiration, sub-irrigation, water rights, streamflow statistics, and irrigation return flow in the upper basin—crucial information for understanding potential impacts of any changes in allocation. Used together, the datasets can help managers determine the relative benefits of retiring water uses and/or redirecting specific water rights to address water-resource issues specified in the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement. (Full report; Technical Announcement)

Online Screening Tool for New Water Withdrawals in Michigan –The State of Michigan ratified the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact on July 9, 2008, and under the Compact, agreed to develop implementation legislation to prevent adverse resource impacts of water withdrawals on the ecosystems and watersheds within the Basin. Through cooperative science projects, USGS, in cooperation with the State of Michigan and Michigan State University, provides science to support to the state in the development of an innovative water-withdrawal assessment process and on-line screening tool for new or increased water withdrawals (On-line screening tool). This process combines ungaged-flow estimation, a statewide ecological flow classification of streams, estimation of streamflow depletion by wells, and ecological-response curves describing the potential impact of water withdrawals on characteristic fish populations within a legislative and management framework.

Environmental Flow Studies in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia –USGS, in cooperation with the Central Shenandoah Valley Planning District Commission, the Northern Shenandoah Valley Regional Commission, and Virginia Commonwealth University, examined the instream flow needs of aquatic organisms of the South Fork and North Fork Rivers. Consistent model output and a range of scenarios are presented to Valley planners and water-resource managers regarding current and future water resources in the basin, the availability of water for fish habitat, recreation, and the potential effects of withdrawals and conservation measures on fish populations.  For example, a key finding from the recent South Fork study suggests that for normal or wet years, increased water withdrawals are not likely to correspond with extensive habitat loss for game fish or nongame fish. During drought years, however, a 20- to 50-percent increase in water withdrawals may result in below normal habitat availability for game fish throughout the river and nongame fish in the upper and middle sections of the river. These simulations of rare historic drought conditions, such as those observed in the Valley in 2002 serve as a baseline for development of ecological flow thresholds for drought planning.  (Studies available at: http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2012/5081 and http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2006/5025/.)

Low Flow Management in northeast Kaua'I, Hawai'i –USGS, in cooperation with the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, assessed the availability and distribution of natural low flow in Anahola Stream in northeast Kaua'i, Hawai'i, which supports agricultural, domestic, and cultural uses within its drainage basin.  Biological surveys were conducted as part of the study to determine the distribution of native and nonnative aquatic stream fauna. The report summarizes scenarios that describe (1) surface-water availability under regulated conditions of Anahola Stream if the upper and lower intakes are restored in the future; and (2) amount of flow available for agricultural use at the upper intake under a variety of potential instream-flow standards that may be established by the State of Hawaiʻi for the protection of instream uses. (Full report)

Groundwater Monitoring Plan for the Missouri River Alluvial Aquifer –USGS, in cooperation with the City of Independence, Missouri assessed source contributions to monitoring and supply wells, contributing recharge areas, groundwater travel times, and alluvial water quality to develop a groundwater monitoring plan for the Missouri River alluvial aquifer in the vicinity of the City of Independence, Missouri well field. Source contributions were determined from an existing groundwater flow model in conjunction with particle-tracking analysis and verified with water-quality data collected from 1997 through 2010 from a network of 68 monitoring wells. Three conjunctive factors—well-field pumpage, Missouri River discharge, and aquifer recharge—largely determined groundwater flow and, therefore, source contributions. The predominant source of groundwater to most monitoring wells and supply wells is the Missouri River, and this was reflected, to some extent, in alluvial water quality. To provide an estimate of the maximum potential lead time available for remedial action, monitoring wells where groundwater travel times from the contributing recharge areas are less than 2 years and predominately singular sources (such as the Missouri River or the land surface) were selected for annual sampling. (Full report)

Geophysical Information Used to Identify the Base of the High Plains Aquifer System in Elkhorn and Loup River Basins, Nebraska –USGS, in cooperation with the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources; and the Upper Elkhorn, Lower Elkhorn, Upper Loup, Lower Loup, Middle Niobrara, Lower Niobrara, Lewis and Clark, and Lower Platte North Natural Resources Districts; and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Conservation and Survey Division, described the subsurface lithology at six test holes drilled in 2010 and concurrently collected borehole geophysical data to identify the base of the High Plains aquifer system. A total of 124 time-domain electromagnetic soundings of resistivity were collected at and between selected test-hole locations during 2008–11 as a quick, non-invasive means of identifying the base of the High Plains aquifer system. The geophysical and subsurface geological information is critical to ultimately understand the effects of groundwater management and pumping scenarios on surface-water resources. (Full report)

Groundwater Availability in the Glacial Aquifer System near Aberdeen, South Dakota –USGS, in cooperation with the city of Aberdeen, developed a conceptual and numerical model of the glacial aquifer system north of Aberdeen, South Dakota, that can be used to evaluate and manage the city of Aberdeen's water resources. The glacial aquifer system in the model area includes the Elm, Middle James, and Deep James aquifers, with intervening confining units composed of glacial till. (Full report)

Projected Water Use and Groundwater Scenarios through 2060 in Parts of Nevada and California –USGS, in cooperation with the Carson Water Subconservancy District, assessed potential effects of changes in water use with a numerical groundwater flow model of Carson Valley, Douglas County, Nevada, and Alpine County, California. Rapid growth and development within Carson Valley in Douglas County, Nevada, and Alpine County, California has caused concern over the continued availability of groundwater, and whether the increased municipal demand could either impact the availability of water or result in decreased flow in the Carson River. The groundwater-flow model was used in five 55-year predictive simulations to evaluate the long-term effects of different water-use scenarios on water-budget components, groundwater levels, and streamflow in the Carson River. The predictive simulations represented water years 2006 through 2060. (Full report)

Assessing Water Supply in the Fractured Rock Region in Maryland –USGS, in collaboration with the Maryland (MD) Department of the Environment, the MD Geological Survey, and the MD Department of Natural Resources, developed a science plan to provide new scientific information, new data analysis, and new tools for the State to comprehensively assess and manage water resources in the fractured rock region of Maryland (Science Plan). The fractured rock region of Maryland, which includes land areas north and west of the Interstate 95 corridor, is the source of water supply for approximately 4.4 million Marylanders, or approximately 76 percent of the State's population. Whereas hundreds of thousands of residents rely on wells (both domestic and community), millions rely on surface-water sources. In this region, land use, geology, topography, water withdrawals, impoundments, and other factors affect water-flow characteristics. The unconfined groundwater systems are closely interconnected with rivers and streams, and are affected by seasonal and climatic variations. During droughts, groundwater levels drop and contribute to reduced streamflows, which in turn, can lead to reduced habitat for aquatic life. Increased demand, over-allocation, population growth, and climate change can affect the future sustainability of water supplies in the region of Maryland underlain by fractured rock.

Groundwater Flow and Water Budget in East Central Florida –USGS, in cooperation with the St. Johns River Water Management District, South Florida Water Management District, and Southwest Florida Water Management District, developed a three dimensional model and water budget of the surficial and Floridan aquifer systems in east-central Florida. The study helps to (1) increase the understanding of water exchanges between the surficial and the Floridan aquifer systems, (2) assess the recharge rates to the surficial aquifer system from infiltration through the unsaturated zone and (3) obtain a simulation tool that could be used by water-resource managers to assess the impact of changes in groundwater withdrawals on spring flows and on the potentiometric surfaces of the hydrogeologic units composing the Floridan aquifer system. (Full report)

Peak-Flow and Stream Ecology Management of the Cedar River, Washington –USGS, in cooperation with Seattle Public Utilities, assessed the linkages between high-flow events, geomorphic response, and effects on stream ecology in the gravel-bedded Cedar River in Washington. High flows can deleteriously affect salmon embryos incubating in the streambed gravels. Recorded accelerometer disturbances, combined with a two-dimensional hydrodynamic model, allowed the prediction of streambed disturbance at the burial depth of Chinook and sockeye salmon egg pockets for different peak discharges. Insight gained from these analyses led to the development of suggested monitoring metrics for an ongoing geomorphic monitoring program on the Cedar River. (Full report)

Hydrologic Cycle Components for Counties and Cities in Virginia –USGS, in cooperation with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, quantified the components of the hydrologic cycle across the Commonwealth of Virginia. Long-term, mean fluxes were calculated for precipitation, surface runoff, infiltration, total evapotranspiration (ET), riparian ET, recharge, base flow (or groundwater discharge) and net total outflow. Final results for the study are presented as component flux estimates for all counties and independent cities in Virginia and can be used for planning and management of water resources in the face of droughts, changing land-use and best management practices, and other varying conditions. (Full report; Technical announcement)