Introduction Section I – Integrated Science Directions for fy 2005
National Water Quality Assessment
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National Water Quality AssessmentIn FY 2005, the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program will begin 14 new studies in 14 geographic study areas (study units). Most of the new topical studies will begin in FY 2005 or FY 2006 with a planning year and are intended to operate for at least 4 more years. Studies to be undertaken within the five topics are designed to improve understanding of the human and natural influences on water-quality conditions. New topical studies are focusing on: 1. Agricultural Chemicals: Sources, Transport, and Fate —the question addressed is: how do environmental processes and agricultural practices interact to affect the transport and fate of agricultural chemicals in the hydrologic system of nationally important agricultural settings, and what are the effects on water quality and implications for management of water resources? New studies will be started in the Mississippi Embayment and in the Eastern Iowa Basins. Contact: Paul Capel. 2. Ecological Effects of Nutrient Enrichment—the question addressed is: how do biological communities and processes respond to varying levels of nutrient enrichment among agricultural streams from contrasting environmental settings? New studies will be started in the Ozark Plateau, Upper Mississippi River Basin, and Upper Snake River Basin. Contact: Mark Munn. 3. Mercury Bioaccumulation in Aquatic Ecosystems —the primary question is: what environmental and biological factors govern the methylation of mercury (Hg) and its resulting bioaccumulation in aquatic biota and stream ecosystems? New studies include the Lake Erie-Lake St. Clair Drainages, Hudson River Basin/Long Island and ew Jersey Coastal Plain, and Santee Basin and Coastal Drainages. Contact: Mark Brigham. 4. Transport of Anthropogenic and Natural Contaminants to Public-Supply and Domestic Wells —the question addressed is: what are the primary contaminant sources and aquifer processes that control transport and transformation of anthropogenic and natural contaminants in representative water-supply aquifers? New studies will be started in the South Central Texas Basins, in the Rio Grande River Basin, in the Long Island and New Jersey Coastal Plain, and in the Lower Illinois River Basin. Contact: Sandra Eberts. 5. Effects of Urbanization on Stream Ecosystems —the questions of interest are: how do the hydrologic, geomorphic, chemical, and biological characteristics of stream ecosystems respond to urbanizing land-use change, and how do responses vary across environmental settings? New studies include the Sacramento River Basin and Puget Sound Drainages. Contact: Cathy Tate. In addition to topical studies, the NAWQA Program operates a network of stream and ground-water trend sites within 42 study units. Trend detection in streams and ground water is determined by characterization of water quality over time (1990s-current year) from samples of nutrients, pesticides, and selected major ions at sites representing major land-use and water-use settings of the Nation. In streams, trends in aquatic biota are characterized by sampling assemblages of fish, aquatic invertebrates, algae, and habitat. At present, the NAWQA online data warehouse includes more than 8 million records, which enable water resource managers, scientists, and the public to find data about the quality of water at more than 4,000 stream sites and 6,500 wells. Data on fish communities are available for nearly 1,000 stream sites in 51 major river basins collected in the first Cycle of NAWQA (1991-2001). Data for aquatic invertebrates, algae, and stream habitat are coming on line within the next several months. More information is available at the URL http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa. Contact: Donna Myers. Geography Discipline Mapping, Remote Sensing, and Geographic Investigations Programs The three programs of the Mapping, Remote Sensing, and Geographic Investigations subactivity are identified under the DOI Strategic goal of “Serving Communities”. The DOI Strategic Plan provides the framework for the Geography five year strategic plans for each of the three programs. All three Geography Discipline programs collectively comprise Geography’s implementation of The National Map as described in the five-year plans, which are complete and in the implementation stage. The Cooperative Topographic Mapping Program will undergo a Program Review during FY04, and the five-year will be updated as a result. Land Remote Sensing and Geographic Analysis and Monitoring will undergo program reviews in the subsequent FY’s, which will trigger updates of those five-year plans. The following annual program guidance reflects Geography’s commitment to carrying out the vision of The National Map, which is central to the Bureau’s science and mapping missions. Cooperative Topographic Mapping Program
Contact: Mark Naftzger. Land Remote Sensing Program In FY05, the program will:
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