Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Water-Level And Recoverable Water In Storage Changes, High Plains Aquifer, Predevelopment To 2019 And 2017 To 2019, Virginia L. Mcguire, Kellan R. Strauch

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

The High Plains aquifer underlies 111.8 million acres (about 175,000 square miles) in parts of eight States: Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. Water-level declines began in parts of the High Plains aquifer soon after the beginning of substantial groundwater irrigation (about 1950). This report presents water-level changes and change in recoverable water in storage in the High Plains aquifer from predevelopment (about 1950) to 2019 and from 2017 to 2019.

Water-level changes from predevelopment to 2019, by well, ranged from a rise of 86 feet to a decline of 265 feet; the range for …

Simulation Of Monthly Mean And Monthly Base Flow Of Streamflow Using Random Forests For The Mississippi River Alluvial Plain, 1901 To 2018, Benjamin J. Dietsch, William H. Asquith, Brian K. Breaker, Stephen M. Westenbroek, Wade H. Kress

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

Improved simulations of streamflow and base flow for selected sites within and adjacent to the Mississippi River Alluvial Plain area are important for modeling groundwater flow because surface-water flows have a substantial effect on groundwater levels. One method for simulating streamflow and base flow, random forest (RF) models, was developed from the data at gaged sites and, in turn, was used to make monthly mean streamflow and base-flow predictions at 162 ungaged sites in the study area. Daily streamflow observations and computed base flow from 247 streamgages were used as the basis for the development of these RF models. RF …

Flood-Inundation Maps For An 8-Mile Reach Of Papillion Creek Near Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, 2022, Kellan R. Strauch, Christopher M. Hobza

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

Digital flood-inundation maps for an 8-mile reach of Papillion Creek near Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the U.S. Air Force, Offutt Air Force Base. The flood-inundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Program website at https://www.usgs.gov/mission-areas/water-resources/science/flood-inundation-mapping-fim-program, depict estimates of the areal extent and depth of flooding corresponding to selected water levels (stages) at the USGS streamgages Papillion Creek at Fort Crook, Nebr. (station 06610795), and Papillion Creek at Harlan Lewis Road near La Platte, Nebr. (station 06610798). Near-real-time stages at these streamgages may …

Selected Anthropogenic Contaminants In Groundwater, Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District, Eastern Nebraska, 1992–2020, Brent M. Hall, Cory L. Kavan, Amanda Flynn, Mikaela L. Cherry

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

A study in cooperation with the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District was completed in 2019 to determine the concentration of contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) in groundwater in the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District, eastern Nebraska. Each well was sampled twice (in June and October or November) in 2019, totaling 34 samples. Samples were analyzed for 132 CECs, which include pharmaceutical, steroid hormone, and other organic chemicals. Seven of the 132 CEC analytes were detected in samples collected during this study. The most commonly detected CEC in this study was the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole. Other CECs detected in this study were …

An Integrated Hydrologic Model To Support The Central Platte Natural Resources District Groundwater Management Plan, Central Nebraska, Jonathan (Jp) Traylor, Moussa Guira, Steven M. Petersen

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

The groundwater and surface-water supply of the Central Platte Natural Resources District supports a large agricultural economy from the High Plains aquifer and Platte River, respectively. This study provided the Central Platte Natural Resources District with an advanced numerical modeling tool to assist with the update of their Groundwater Management Plan.

An integrated hydrologic model, called the Central Platte Integrated Hydrologic Model, was constructed using the MODFLOW-One-Water Hydrologic Model code with the Newton solver. This code integrates climate, landscape, surface water, and groundwater-flow processes in a fully coupled approach. Model framework included 163 rows; 327 columns; 2,640 feet cell sides; …

Water-Level And Recoverable Water In Storage Changes, High Plains Aquifer, Predevelopment To 2017 And 2015–17, Virginia L. Mcguire, Kellan R. Strauch

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

Document abstract

The High Plains aquifer underlies 111.8 million acres (about 175,000 square miles) in parts of eight States—Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. Water-level declines began in parts of the High Plains aquifer soon after the beginning of substantial groundwater irrigation (about 1950). This report presents water-level changes and change in recoverable water in storage in the High Plains aquifer from predevelopment (about 1950) to 2017 and from 2015 to 2017.

Water-level changes from predevelopment to 2017, by well, ranged from a rise of 84 feet to a decline of 262 feet; the range …

Age And Water-Quality Characteristics Of Groundwater Discharge To The South Loup River, Nebraska, 2019, Christopher M. Hobza, John E. Solder

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

Streams in the Loup River Basin are sensitive to groundwater withdrawals because of the close hydrologic connection between groundwater and surface water. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Upper Loup and Lower Loup Natural Resources Districts, and the Nebraska Environmental Trust, studied the age and water-quality characteristics of groundwater near the South Loup River to assess the possible effects of a multiyear drought on streamflow.

Groundwater sampled in wells screened in Quaternary-age deposits displayed a wide range of mean ages (27 to 2,100 years), fraction modern, and susceptibility index values. Groundwater with higher concentrations of chloride and higher …

Virtual Training Prepared For The Former Afghanistan Ministry Of Energy And Water—Streamgaging, Fluvial Sediment Sampling, Bathymetry, And Streamflow And Sediment Modeling, Joel T. Groten, Joshua F. Valder, Brenda K. Densmore, Logan W. Neal, Justin Krahulik, Thomas J. Mack

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) created a virtual training series for the Afghanistan Ministry of Energy and Water (MEW), now known as the National Water Affairs Regulation Authority (NWARA), to provide critical hydrological training as an alternative to an in-person training. The USGS was scheduled to provide in-person surface-water training for NWARA during 2020; however, travel was halted because of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID–19) pandemic. The virtual training consisted of prerecorded and live presentations that were scheduled during 4 weeks in August 2021. However, the training was halted after the second week due to the collapse of the …

Main-Stem Seepage And Base-Flow Recession Time Constants In The Niobrara National Scenic River Basin, Nebraska, 2016–18, Kellan R. Strauch, Philip J. Soeksen

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

The Niobrara River of northern Nebraska is a valuable water resource that sustains irrigated agriculture and recreation, as well as a diverse ecosystem. Large-quantity withdrawals from the source aquifer system have the potential to reduce the flow into the river and to adversely affect the free-flowing condition of the Niobrara National Scenic River (NSR). Therefore, to understand the magnitude and characteristics of those flows, the United States Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the National Park Service, began a study to quantify seepage gains/losses along the eastern half of the Niobrara NSR and to create a map characterizing the base-flow …

Continuous Turbidity Data Used To Compute Constituent Concentrations In The South Loup River, Nebraska, 2017–18, David L. Rus, Brenda K. Densmore

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

The South Loup River in central Nebraska has been impaired by bacteria since at least 2004, which has resulted in the river not meeting its intended use as a recreational waterway. As part of a strategy for reducing the bacterial load in the river, the United States Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Lower Loup Natural Resources District, made continuous estimates of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and nutrient concentrations during seasonal monitoring at the South Loup River at Saint Michael, Nebraska, during 2017–18. Continuous turbidity data were collected from mid-April through October in 2017 and 2018 …

Groundwater Quality And Age Of Secondary Bedrock Aquifers In The Glaciated Portion Of Eastern Nebraska, 2016–18, Christopher M. Hobza, Amanda T. Flynn

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

The Eastern Nebraska Water Resources Assessment (ENWRA) project was initiated in 2006 to assist water managers by developing a hydrogeologic framework and water budget for the glaciated portion of eastern Nebraska. Within the ENWRA area, the primary groundwater sources for municipal, domestic, and irrigation water needs are provided by withdrawals from alluvial, buried paleovalley, and the High Plains aquifer (where present). Generally, other bedrock aquifers are considered a secondary water source. However, in some areas, such as parts of Sarpy and Nemaha Counties, these secondary bedrock aquifers are the only source of water within glaciated upland areas. To improve the …

U.S. Geological Survey Science For The Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative—2018 Annual Report, Patrick J. Anderson, Cameron L. Aldridge, Jason S. Alexander, Timothy J.` Assal, Steven Aulenbach, Zachary H. Bowen, Anna D. Chalfoun, Geneva W. Chong, Holly Copeland, David R. Edmunds, Steve Germaine, Tabitha Graves, Julie A. Heinrichs, Collin G. Homer, Christopher G. Huber, Aaron N. Johnston, Matthew J. Kauffman, Daniel J. Manier, Ryan R. Mcshane, Cheryl A. Eddy-Miller, Kirk A. Miller, Adrian P. Monroe, Michael S. O'Donnell, Anna Ortega, Annika W. Walters, Daniel J. Wieferich, Teal B. Wyckoff, Linda Zeigenfuss

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

The Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI) was established in 2007 as a collaborative interagency partnership to develop and implement science-based conservation actions. During the past 11 years, partners from U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), State and Federal land management agencies, universities, and the public have collaborated to implement a long-term (more than 10 years) science-based program that assesses and enhances the quality and quantity of wildlife habitats in the southwest Wyoming region while facilitating responsible development. The USGS WLCI Science Team completes scientific research and develops tools that inform and support WLCI partner planning, decision making, and on-the-ground management actions.

In …

Assessment Of Water Availability In The Osage Nation Using An Integrated Hydrologic-Flow Model, Jonathan (Jp) Traylor, Shana L. Mashburn, Randall T. Hanson, Steven M. Peterson

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

Document abstract

The Osage Nation of northeastern Oklahoma, conterminous with Osage County, covers about 2,900 square miles. The area is primarily rural with 62 percent of the land being native prairie grass, and much of the area is used for cattle ranching and extraction of petroleum and natural gas. Protection of water rights are important to the Osage Nation because of its reliance on cattle ranching and the potential for impairment of water quality by petroleum extraction. Additionally, the potential for future population increases, demands for water from neighboring areas such as the Tulsa metropolitan area, and expansion of petroleum …

Sediment Monitoring To Support Modeling A Reservoir Sediment Flush On A Sand-Bed River In Northern Nebraska, Nathaniel J. Schaepe, Paul M. Boyd

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), monitored a sediment flush event from Spencer Dam located on the Niobrara River near Spencer, Nebraska, during the fall of 2014. Data collected during the flush was used to validate a one-dimensional sediment transport model developed by the USACE. The USACE surveyed 26 cross sections within the reservoir and as far as 1 kilometer (km) upstream from the reservoir pool to about 10 km downstream from the dam before and after the flushing event to measure erosion and deposition. They also collected surficial …

Groundwater Movement And Interaction With Surface Water Near The Confluence Of The Platte And Elkhorn Rivers, Nebraska, 2016–18, Christopher M. Hobza, Mason J. Johnson, Paul W. Woodward, Kellan R. Strauch, Aaron R. Schepers

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

Document abstract

The State of Nebraska requires a sustainable balance between long-term water supplies and uses of groundwater and surface water and requires Natural Resources Districts to include the effect of groundwater use on surface-water systems as part of their respective integrated management plans. Recent droughts in Nebraska (2000–6; 2012–13) have amplified concerns about the long-term sustainability of groundwater and surface-water resources in the state, and concerns about the effect of groundwater irrigation on both streamflow and the water supplies needed to meet wildlife, recreational, and municipal needs. The lower Platte River provides nearly 100 percent of drinking-water supplies to …

Flood-Inundation Maps Of The Meramec River From Eureka To Arnold, Missouri, 2018, Benjamin J. Dietsch, Kellan R. Strauch

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

Document abstract

Libraries of digital flood-inundation maps that spanned a combined 37.2-mile reach of the Meramec River that extended upstream from Eureka, Missouri, to downstream near the confluence of the Meramec and Mississippi Rivers were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District, Missouri Department of Transportation, Missouri American Water, Federal Emergency Management Agency Region 7, and the cities of Pacific, Eureka, Wildwood, and Arnold. The flood-inundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science website at https://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation/, depict estimates of …

Pawnee Dam Inflow Design Flood (Idf) Update And Stage-Frequency Curve Development Using Rmcrfa, Jennifer P. Christensen, Joshua J. Melliger

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

Pawnee Dam is one of the ten Salt Creek Dams designed and built in the 1960s to mitigate flooding in Lincoln, Nebraska. This short paper illustrates the update of the Pawnee Dam inflow design flood (IDF) through calibration to recent high flow events and the development of its stage-frequency or hydrologic loading curve with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Risk Management Center Reservoir Frequency Analysis (RMC-RFA) model. The IDF update follows Engineering Regulation 1110-8-2, Inflow Design Flood for Dams and Reservoirs, including unit hydrograph peaking and two antecedent pool elevations. Background information on the original design of the dam …

Improved Flow Frequency Techniques With Frequency-Based Storms And Bulletin 17c, Katherine M. Werner

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

This paper summarizes the hydrologic evaluation performed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Omaha District as part of the Elkhorn Basin Flood Plain Management Services (FPMS) Flood Risk Identification Study. The Elkhorn Basin FPMS Study is a collaborative effort between the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources (NeDNR), the USACE, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region VII. The Elkhorn River is located in northeastern Nebraska, covers approximately 7,000 square miles, and includes 11 Federally Constructed Levees, 5 high hazard dams, and dozens of NFIP participating communities. Previous flood risk information in the basin was developed specific …

Comparing Reservoir Sediment Yield, Depletion, And Sustainability Within The Missouri River Basin, Daniel B. Pridal, Paul M. Boyd, Larry J. Morong

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

Repetitive reservoir storage capacity surveys are often thought to provide one of the most accurate methods to assess basin sediment yield. The Omaha District conducts a large scale sediment data collection and analysis program for six Missouri River mainstem and twenty-two tributary reservoirs. An analysis was conducted to compare the sediment yield, reservoir capacity, depletion trends, and comparison between projects for effects on project sustainability. Trend analysis is complicated by temporal variation in conservation practices that affect sediment yield, new reservoir survey techniques, and revised capacity computation methods. Results provide insight on the variation in basin sediment yield, reservoir depletion …

Relating Cyanobacteria And Physicochemical Water-Quality Properties In Willow Creek Lake, Nebraska, 2012–14, David L. Rus, Brent M. Hall, Steven A. Thomas

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

Document abstract

Cyanobacteria (also referred to as blue-green algae) are naturally present members of phytoplankton assemblages that may detract from beneficial uses of water because some strains produce cyanotoxins that pose health hazards to people and animals. Cyanobacteria populations observed in Willow Creek Lake during 2012 through 2014 were compared to external nutrient loading from the Willow Creek drainage basin and several other physicochemical properties within the lake, including internal nutrient loading. This report is part of a cooperative study between the United States Geological Survey, the Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District, the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality, the Nebraska …

Simulation Of Groundwater Flow, 1895–2010, And Effects Of Additional Groundwater Withdrawals On Future Stream Base Flow In The Elkhorn And Loup River Basins, Central Nebraska—Phase Three, Amanda T. Flynn, Jennifer S. Stanton

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

Document abstract

The United States Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Lewis and Clark, Lower Elkhorn, Lower Loup, Lower Platte North, Lower Niobrara, Middle Niobrara, Upper Elkhorn, and the Upper Loup Natural Resources Districts, designed a study to refine the spatial and temporal discretization of a previously modeled area. This updated study focused on a 30,000-square-mile area of the High Plains aquifer and constructed regional groundwater-flow models to evaluate the effects of groundwater withdrawal on stream base flow in the Elkhorn and Loup River Basins, Nebraska. The model was calibrated to match groundwater-level and base-flow data from the stream-aquifer …

Groundwater Discharge Characteristics For Selected Streams Within The Loup River Basin, Nebraska, 2014–16, Christopher M. Hobza, Aaron R. Schepers

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

Streams in the Loup River Basin are sensitive to groundwater withdrawals because of the close hydrologic connection between groundwater and surface water. Groundwater discharge is the primary component of streamflow in the Loup River Basin and constitutes more than 90 percent of streamflow in the central part of the Sand Hills. To improve the understanding of geologic controls and various climatic and land-use changes on groundwater discharge, the United States Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Upper Loup Natural Resources District (NRD), the Lower Loup NRD, and the Nebraska Environmental Trust, studied the spatial and temporal characteristics of groundwater …

Documentation Of Particle-Size Analyzer Time Series, And Discrete Suspended-Sediment And Bed-Sediment Sample Data Collection, Niobrara River Near Spencer, Nebraska, October 2014, Nathaniel J. Schaepe, Anthony M. Coleman, Ronald B. Zelt

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

Document abstract

The Ubited States Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the United States Army Corps of Engineers, monitored a sediment release by Nebraska Public Power District from Spencer Dam located on the Niobrara River near Spencer, Nebraska, during the fall of 2014. The accumulated sediment behind Spencer Dam ordinarily is released semiannually; however, the spring 2014 release was postponed until the fall. Because of the postponement, the scheduled fall sediment release would consist of a larger volume of sediment. The larger than normal sediment release expected in fall 2014 provided an opportunity for the USGS and US Army Corps …

Suitability Of River Delta Sediment As Proppant, Missouri And Niobrara Rivers, Nebraska And South Dakota, 2015, Ronald B. Zelt, Christopher M. Hobza, Bethany L. Burton, Nathaniel J. Schaepe, Nadine M. Piatak-Hackley

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

Document abstract

Sediment management is a challenge faced by reservoir managers who have several potential options, including dredging, for mitigation of storage capacity lost to sedimentation. As sediment is removed from reservoir storage, potential use of the sediment for socioeconomic or ecological benefit could potentially defray some costs of its removal. Rivers that transport a sandy sediment load will deposit the sand load along a reservoir-headwaters reach where the current of the river slackens progressively as its bed approaches and then descends below the reservoir water level. Given a rare combination of factors, a reservoir deposit of alluvial sand has …

Flood-Inundation Maps For The Meramec River At Valley Park And At Fenton, Missouri, 2017, Benjamin J. Dietsch, Jacob N. Sappington

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

Two sets of digital flood-inundation map libraries that spanned a combined 16.7-mile reach of the Meramec River that extends upstream from Valley Park, Missouri, to downstream from Fenton, Missouri, were created by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the United States Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis Metropolitan Sewer District, Missouri Department of Transportation, Missouri American Water, and Federal Emergency Management Agency Region 7. The flood-inundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science website at https://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation/, depict estimates of the areal extent and depth of flooding corresponding to selected water levels …

Brackish Groundwater And Its Potential To Augment Freshwater Supplies, Jennifer S. Stanton, Kevin F. Dennehy, Sharon L. Qi, Alta C. Harris

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

Document abstract

Secure, reliable, and sustainable water resources are fundamental to the Nation’s food production, energy independence, and ecological and human health and well-being. Indications are that at any given time, water resources are under stress in selected parts of the country. The large-scale development of groundwater resources has caused declines in the amount of groundwater in storage and declines in discharges to surface water bodies (Reilly and others, 2008). Water supply in some regions, particularly in arid and semiarid regions, is not adequate to meet demand, and severe drought intensifies the stresses affecting water resources (National Drought Mitigation Center, …

Groundwater-Flow Model Of The Northern High Plains Aquifer In Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, And Wyoming, Steven M. Peterson, Amanda T. Flynn, Jonathan (Jp) Traylor

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

The High Plains aquifer is a nationally important water resource underlying about 175,000 square miles in parts of eight states: Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. Droughts across much of the Northern High Plains from 2001 to 2007 have combined with recent (2004) legislative mandates to elevate concerns regarding future availability of groundwater and the need for additional information to support science-based water-resource management. To address these needs, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) began the High Plains Groundwater Availability Study to provide a tool for water-resource managers and other stakeholders to assess the status …

Flood-Inundation Maps For A 12.5-Mile Reach Of Big Papillion Creek At Omaha, Nebraska, Kellan R. Strauch, Benjamin J. Dietsch, Kayla J. Anderson

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

Digital flood-inundation maps for a 12.5-mile reach of the Big Papillion Creek from 0.6 mile upstream from the State Street Bridge to the 72nd Street Bridge in Omaha, Nebraska, were created by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District. The flood-inundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science Web site at http://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation/, depict estimates of the areal extent and depth of flooding corresponding to selected water levels (stages) at the USGS streamgage on the Big Papillion Creek at Fort Street at Omaha, Nebraska (station 06610732). Near-real-time …

Effects Of Streamflows On Stream-Channel Morphology In The Eastern Niobrara National Scenic River, Nebraska, 1988–2010, Nathaniel J. Schaepe, Jason S. Alexander, Kiernan Folz-Donahue

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

The Niobrara River is an important and valuable economic and ecological resource in northern Nebraska that supports ecotourism, recreational boating, wildlife, fisheries, agriculture, and hydroelectric power. Because of its uniquely rich resources, a 122-kilometer reach of the Niobrara River was designated as a National Scenic River in 1991, which has been jointly managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service (NPS). To assess how the remarkable qualities of the National Scenic River may change if consumptive uses of water are increased above current levels, the United States Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the NPS, …

Water Balance Monitoring For Two Bioretention Gardens In Omaha, Nebraska, 2011–14, Kellan R. Strauch, David L. Rus, Kent E. Holm

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

Document abstract

Bioretention gardens are used to help mitigate stormwater runoff in urban settings in an attempt to restore the hydrologic response of the developed land to a natural predevelopment response in which more water is infiltrated rather than routed directly to urban drainage networks. To better understand the performance of bioretention gardens in facilitating infiltration of stormwater in eastern Nebraska, the United States Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Douglas County Environmental Services and the Nebraska Environmental Trust, assessed the water balance of two bioretention gardens located in Omaha, Nebraska by monitoring the amount of stormwater entering and …