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Lake Mead Work Continues, with Presentations and Sampling By Dave Twichell Feb. / Mar. 2003 in this issue:  previous story | next story Field assistant: The author's dog, Scupper, contemplates a series of slump scarps along the bank of the Colorado River. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientist Dave Twichell presented results from research on sediment transport in Lake Mead to the Southern Nevada Water Authority on December 19 and to managers in the National Park Service on January 7. The Southern Nevada Water Authority, the agency that oversees water quality and water usage for the State, was keenly interested in the results from our coring work that indicate sand has been transported at least 8 km into the lake from Las Vegas Wash. This wash, a small stream by East Coast standards, drains the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Park Service managers were interested in our geologic mapping as an aid to modifying and moving recreational facilities on the lake. A mid-January weekend was spent in the field collecting samples from the delta where the Colorado River enters Lake Mead. January's lake level—57 ft lower than when we completed geophysical mapping in April 2001—provided an unusual opportunity to walk over, photograph, and directly sample what 2 years ago could be viewed only in the geophysical records. A 2-mi walk through the desert in 70°F weather (while my USGS colleagues in Woods Hole, MA, were putting up with 10°F weather), followed by a 0.5-mi walk across desiccated deltaic deposits, led to some spectacular exposures along the bank of the Colorado River. The west edge of the Colorado Plateau provided a truly extraordinary backdrop to the field area. Scupper, the ever-enthusiastic dog, gamely did the entire walk until she faced the last 100 yd, at which point she lay down and, with tail wagging, refused to go another step. So, at the end of the day, not only did I have to carry all the samples, but I also had to carry one of my field assistants! Dedication of a New Vessel for Research on Lake Mead November 2002 Dave Twitchell Leaves Woods Hole (Temporarily) for the University of Nevada October 2002 Coring to Study Sediment Dispersal in Lake Mead, Nevada July 2002 Lake Mead Group Travels to Las Vegas, NV March 2002 Lake Mead Mapping Completed June 2001 Seismic and Sidescan Sonar Survey in Lake Mead, Nevada July 2000 Lake Mead: UNLV Cooperative Cruise July 1999 Sediment Studies in Lake Mead U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Department of Geoscience University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) in this issue:  previous story | next story

Feb. / Mar. 2003 Mailing List: Sign up to receive monthly email updates: print this issue in this issue: cover story: Competitive Edge of Invasive Species Lake Mead Work Continues Dolphin Rescue London Interns Tour St. Pete Congressional Briefing on Gas Hydrates Volcanic Ash and Aviation Safety Science Mentoring Coastal Vulnerability Lidar Data and Technology International Deep-Sea Corals Workshop Northeastern Coastal Ecosystems and Resources Workshop Shinn Wins 2002 Shoemaker Distinguished Achievement Award Coastal and Marine Scientists Win 2002 Shoemaker Product Excellence Awards Behrendt and Poag Elected AAAS Fellows Normark Awarded Keen Medal A Tribute to Joe Newell Marine Geophysics Pioneer Honored Celebrating Careers of Five Retirees Manheim Lectures on Trends in Scientific and Technological Innovation San Francisco Bay Earthquake Hazards Effectivenes of Marine Reserves in Central California Human Influence on Diatom Productivity and Sedimentation in Chesapeake Bay Feb. / Mar. Publications List

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