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Water Use in Florida, 2005 and Trends 1950-2005

Water is among Florida's most valued resources. The State has more than 1,700 streams and rivers, 7,800 freshwater lakes, 700 springs, 11 million acres of wetlands, and underlying aquifers yielding quantities of freshwater necessary for both human and environmental needs (Fernald and Purdum, 1998). Although renewable, these water resources are More...

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Relations between and among contaminant concentrations and biomarkers in black bass (Micropterus spp.) and common carp (Cyprinus carpio) from large U.S. rivers, 1995-2004

Environmental contaminant and biomarker monitoring data from major U.S. river basins were summarized for black bass (Micropterus spp.) and common carp (Cyprinus carpio) sampled over a nine year period. Cumulative frequency distributions revealed taxon differences for many organochlorine residue concentrations, elemental contaminant concentrations, More...

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Bioaccumulation and Effects of PCBs on Tree Swallows Nesting along the Housatonic River, Massachusetts

Research at the Upper Midwest Environmental Center, which gathered detailed observations on tree swallow nesting success and contaminant concentrations in 1998-2000, to guide EPA and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in effectively managing the risk of chemical contaminants to wildlife and the environment.

  • Warning sign near the Housatonic River

Bioaccumulation of Mercury by Fish and Fish-forage Organisms in Camp Far West Reservoir, Yuba and Placer Counties, California

Mercury contamination from historic gold mining operations is widespread in many rivers, lakes, and reservoirs on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada. A multidisciplinary investigation by USGS is attempting to better understand mercury dynamics and to identify hot spots within Camp Far West Reservoir in order to determine if remediation More...

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Persistence of organochlorine chemical residues in fish from the Tombigbee River (Alabama, USA): Continuing risk to wildlife from a former DDT manufacturing facility

Organochlorine pesticide and total polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations were measured in largemouth bass from the Tombigbee River near a former DDT manufacturing facility at McIntosh, Alabama. Concentrations of DDT isomers in McIntosh bass remained unchanged from 1974 to 2004 and were four times greater than contemporary concentrations More...

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Water Quality and Salmonid Population Viability

The objective of this project is to compile existing information into a format that will allow endangered species recovery planners to consider risks posed by various sources and types of water pollution. Identification of sources of pollution should include point- and nonpoint-sources. it is unlikely that all sources of pollution in all water More...

  • Abnormal fish gonad with egg and sperm

Mercury Contamination in Fillets of Selected Sport Fishes from Lake Natoma

Lake Natoma, an 8,760 acre-feet reservoir on the American River, is managed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) for multiple uses that include fishing and other water-based recreation. Preliminary results from 22 fish samples collected in Lake Natoma during August 2000 indicate that the mercury content may approach or exceed guidelines for More...

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Environmental Endocrine Disrupters: Effects and Possible Mechanism(s) in Young Male River Otters

The river otter (Lontra canadensis) is a top predator of most aquatic food chains. The goal of this study is to further evaluate the relationship among the contaminants and observed reproductive organ hypoplasia in young male river otters, their occurrence, and mode of action or mechanism that causes hypoplasia with a larger series of data from More...

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National Resources Monitoring Partnership (NRMP)

Natural resource managers face complex decisions that require a clear understanding of the status of wildlife populations and their habitats. Monitoring is key to making effective management decisions and evaluating the outcomes of those decisions. The goal of NRMP is to improve the accessibility of monitoring efforts to resource managers to aid More...

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National Resources Monitoring Partnership (NRMP) Newsletter

Natural Resource Monitoring Partnership (NRMP) is a collaborative effort by the natural resource management community to improve monitoring efforts in order to support effective evaluation and decision-making by sharing information on monitoring projects and protocols. The Natural Resource Monitoring Partnership was built for easy access to More...

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Cellular and Genetic Tracers of Transport Time in Groundwater Systems

Artificially maintained water levels within the lake and stresses placed upon the aquifer by well withdrawals facilitate movement of water from the lake into the local ground water system, potentially allowing contaminants to enter the aquifer from the lake. This raises national concern because similar lakeside settings exist throughout the United More...

  • Diatom image of the species Cymbella tumida.

Community Structure and Adaptive Strategies of Fungi in Geothermal Soils

There are approximately 500,000 abandoned mines in the western US. Collectively, these mines pollute rivers, streams, and western reservoirs with millions of tons of metals annually that degrade aquatic habitat and water used by humans for drinking, recreation, and irrigation. However, there is great potential in decreasing or eliminating the flow More...

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