Effect of Susquehanna River stream flow on Chesapeake Bay salinities and history of past oyster mortalities on upper Bay bars

A study of possible causes for extensive mortality of oysters in the Upper Chesapeake Bay was taken on by year-round monitoring of conditions during a two-year period.

Using Micro-Gravity Techniques to Map Alluvium Thickness and Pleistocene Location of the West Branch of the Susquehanna River Near Muncy, Pennsylvania

Laurentide glaciation during the early Pleistocene (~970 ka) dammed the southeast-flowing West Branch of the Susquehanna River (WBSR), scouring bedrock and creating 100-km-long glacial Lake Lesley near the Great Bend at Muncy, Pennsylvania (Ramage et al., 1998). Local drill logs and well data indicate that subsequent paleo-outwash floods and modern fluvial processes have deposited as much as 30 meters of alluvium in this area, but little is known about the valley fill architecture and the bedrock-alluvium interface. By gaining a greater understanding of the bedrock-alluvium interface the project will not only supplement existing depth to bedrock information, but also provide information pertinent to the evolution of the Muncy Valley landscape. This project determined if variations in the thickness of the valley fill were detectable using micro-gravity techniques to map the bedrock-alluvium interface. The gravity method was deemed appropriate due to scale of the study area (~30 km2), ease of operation by a single person, and the available geophysical equipment. A LaCoste and Romberg Gravitron unit was used to collect gravitational field readings at 49 locations over 5 transects across the Muncy Creek and Susquehanna River valleys (approximately 30 km2), with at least two gravity base stations per transect. Precise latitude, longitude and ground surface elevation at each location were measured using an OPUS corrected Trimble RTK-GPS unit. Base stations were chosen based on ease of access due to the necessity of repeat measurements. Gravity measurement locations were selected and marked to provide easy access and repeat measurements. The gravimeter was returned to a base station within every two hours and a looping procedure was used to determine drift and maximize confidence in the gravity measurements. A two-minute calibration reading at each station was used to minimize any tares in the data. The Gravitron digitally recorded finite impulse response filtered gravity measurements every 20 seconds at each station. A measurement period of 15 minutes was used for each base station occupation and a minimum of 5 minutes at all other locations. Longer or multiple measurements were utilized at some sites if drift or other externalities (i.e. train or truck traffic) were effecting readings. Average, median, standard deviation and 95% confidence interval were calculated for each station. Tidal, drift, latitude, free-air, Bouguer and terrain corrections were then applied. The results show that the gravitational field decreases as alluvium thickness increases across the axes of the Susquehanna River and Muncy Creek valleys. However, the location of the gravity low does not correspond with the present-day location of the West Branch of the Susquehanna River (WBSR), suggesting that the WBSR may have been constrained along Bald Eagle Mountain by a glacial lobe originating from the Muncy Creek Valley to the northeast. Using a 3-D inversion model, the topography of the bedrock-alluvium interface was determined over the extent of the study area using a density contrast of -0.8 g/cm3. Our results are consistent with the bedrock geometry of the area, and provide a low-cost, non-invasive and efficient method for exploring the subsurface and for supplementing existing well data.

Transport of Hydraulic Fracturing Water and Wastes in the Susquehanna River Basin, Pennsylvania

The development of the Marcellus Shale gas play in Pennsylvania and the northeastern United States has resulted in significant amounts of water and wastes transported by truck over roadways. This study used geographic information systems (GIS) to quantify truck travel distances via both the preferred routes (minimum distance while also favoring higher-order roads) as well as, where available, the likely actual distances for freshwater and waste transport between pertinent locations (e. g., gas wells, treatment facilities, freshwater sources). Results show that truck travel distances in the Susquehanna River Basin are greater than those used in prior life-cycle assessments of tight shale gas. When compared to likely actual transport distances, if policies were instituted to constrain truck travel to the closest destination and higher-order roads, transport mileage reductions of 40-80% could be realized. Using reasonable assumptions of current practices, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with water and waste hauling were calculated to be 70-157 MT CO2 eq per gas well. Furthermore, empty so-called backhaul trips, such as to freshwater withdrawal sites or returning from deep well injection sites, were found to increase emissions by an additional 30%, underscoring the importance of including return trips in the analysis. The results should inform future life-cycle assessments of tight shale gases in managed watersheds and help local and regional governments plan for impacts of transportation on local infrastructure. (C) 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.

Transverse drainages of the Susquehanna River basin, Pennsylvania, USA

While large-scale transverse drainages (TDs) such as those of the Susquehanna River above Harrisburg, PA, have been recognized since the 19th century, there have been no systematic surveys done of TDs since that of Ver Steeg's in 1930. Here, the results are presented of a topographic and statistical analysis of TDs in the Susquehanna River basin using Google Earth and associated overlays. 653 TDs were identified in the study area, 95% of which contain streams with discharges of less than 10 m3/s. TD depths ranged from a 23 m deep water gap near Blain, PA, to the 539 m deep gorge of the Juniata River through Jacks Mountain. Although TD depth tended to increase with stream size, many small streams were located in deep gaps, and eight streams with discharges of 10 m3/s or less were found in gorges whose depths matched or exceeded the deepest TD of the Susquehanna, the largest stream in the basin. Streams of less than 10 m3/s made up the majority of TDs regardless of the rock type capping the breached structure. Overall, TDs through sandstone-capped ridges were deeper than those topped by shales, and TDs in both sandstones and shales displayed a lognormal distribution of depths, which may be indicative of a preferred value. Stream flow direction was primarily perpendicular to local structural strike, with 47% of streams flowing NW and 53% flowing SE. 19% of the TDs were found to be in alignment with at least one other TD, with aligned segment lengths ranging from .5 to 14.8 km. The majority of TDs were in rocks of Paleozoic age. The techniques described here allow the frequency and distribution of TDs to be quantified so that they can be integrated into models of basin evolution.

Water-quality assessment of the Lower Susquehanna River Basin, Pennsylvania and Maryland : sources, characteristics, anaylsis, and limitations of nutrient and suspended-seditment data, 1975-90 /

"National Water-Quality Assessment Program"

Petroglyphs in the Susquehanna River near Safe Harbor, Pennsylvania ...

Notes and bibliography: p. 52-59.

Chemical qualities of surface waters in the Allegheny, Genesee, and Susquehanna River Basins, New York, 1953-1956.

Mode of access: Internet.

Metacommunity Dynamics Of Benthic Macroinvertebrates In A Large River

Metacommunity ecology focuses on the interaction between local communities and is inherently linked to dispersal as a result. Within this framework, communities are structured by a combination of in-site responses to the immediate environment (species sorting), stochasticity (patch dynamics), and connections to other communities via distance between communities and dispersal (neutrality), and source-sink dynamics (mass effects; see Chapter 1 for a detailed description of metacommunity theory, the study site, and macroinvertebrate communities found). In Chapter 2 I describe spatial scale of study and dispersal ability as both have the ability to influence the degree to which communities interact. However, little is known about how these factors influence the importance of all metacommunity dynamics. I compared dispersal mode of immature aquatic insects and dispersal ability of winged adults across multiple spatial scales in a large river. The strongest drivers of river communities were patch dynamics, followed by species sorting, then neutrality. Active dispersers during aquatic lifestages on average exhibited lower patch dynamics, higher species sorting, and significant mass effects compared to passive dispersers. Active and strong dispersers also had a scale-independent influence of neutrality, while neutrality was stronger at broader spatial scale for passive and weak dispersers. These results indicate as dispersal ability increases patch dynamics decreases, species sorting increases, and neutrality should decrease. The perceived influence of neutrality may also be dependent on spatial scale and dispersal ability. In Chapter 3 I describe how river benthic macroinvertebrate communities may influence tributary invertebrate communities via adult flight and tributaries may influence mainstem communities via immature drift. This relationship may also depend on relative mainstem and tributary size, as well as abiotic tributary influence on mainstem habitat. To investigate the interaction between a larger river and tributary I sampled mainstem benthic invertebrate communities and quantified habitat of a 7th order river (West Branch Susquehanna River) above and below a 5th order tributary confluence, as well as 0.95-3.2 km upstream in the tributary. Non-metric multidimensional scaling showed similar patterns of clustering between sampling locations for both habitat characteristics and invertebrate communities. In addition, mainstem river communities and habitat directly downstream of the tributary confluence cluster tightly together, intermediate between tributary and mid-channel river samples. In Bray-Curtis dissimilarity comparisons between tributary and mainstem river communities the furthest upstream tributary communities were least similar to river communities. Middle tributary samples were also closest by Euclidean distance to the upstream mainstem riffle and exhibited higher similarity to mid-channel samples than the furthest downstream tributary communities. My results indicate river and tributary benthic invertebrate communities may interact and likely result in direct and indirect mass effects of a tributary on the downstream mainstem community by invertebrate drift and habitat restructuring via material delivery from the tributary. I also showed likely direct effects of adult dispersal from the river and oviposition in proximal tributary locations where Euclidian, rather than river, distance may be more important in determining river-tributary interactions.

Susquehanna and Delaware Rivers headwaters, New York, 1790 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Map of the head waters of the rivers Susquehanna & Delaware embracing the early patents on the south side of the Mohawk River : from the original, drawn about the year 1790, by Simeon DeWitt, Esq. ... ; with the date of each patent now appended from the rec. in surveyr. genls. office, by E.B. O'C. It was published by Weed, Parsons & Co. in 1849. Scale [ca. 1:260,000]. Covers portion of Central New York including Oneida, Herkimer, Montgomery, Schenectady, Schoharie, Otsego, Delaware, and Greene Counties. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) Zone 18N NAD83 projection. All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This is a cadastral map showing property boundaries, names of property owners, dates of patent, drainage, and more. Includes ill. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from The Harvard Map Collection as part of the Imaging the Urban Environment project. Maps selected for this project represent major urban areas and cities of the world, at various time periods. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features at a large scale. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.

Nonparametric rank regression for analyzing water quality concentration data with multiple detection limits

Environmental data usually include measurements, such as water quality data, which fall below detection limits, because of limitations of the instruments or of certain analytical methods used. The fact that some responses are not detected needs to be properly taken into account in statistical analysis of such data. However, it is well-known that it is challenging to analyze a data set with detection limits, and we often have to rely on the traditional parametric methods or simple imputation methods. Distributional assumptions can lead to biased inference and justification of distributions is often not possible when the data are correlated and there is a large proportion of data below detection limits. The extent of bias is usually unknown. To draw valid conclusions and hence provide useful advice for environmental management authorities, it is essential to develop and apply an appropriate statistical methodology. This paper proposes rank-based procedures for analyzing non-normally distributed data collected at different sites over a period of time in the presence of multiple detection limits. To take account of temporal correlations within each site, we propose an optimal linear combination of estimating functions and apply the induced smoothing method to reduce the computational burden. Finally, we apply the proposed method to the water quality data collected at Susquehanna River Basin in United States of America, which dearly demonstrates the advantages of the rank regression models.

Statistical tools for analyzing water quality data

Water quality data are often collected at different sites over time to improve water quality management. Water quality data usually exhibit the following characteristics: non-normal distribution, presence of outliers, missing values, values below detection limits (censored), and serial dependence. It is essential to apply appropriate statistical methodology when analyzing water quality data to draw valid conclusions and hence provide useful advice in water management. In this chapter, we will provide and demonstrate various statistical tools for analyzing such water quality data, and will also introduce how to use a statistical software R to analyze water quality data by various statistical methods. A dataset collected from the Susquehanna River Basin will be used to demonstrate various statistical methods provided in this chapter. The dataset can be downloaded from website http://www.srbc.net/programs/CBP/nutrientprogram.htm.

Hydrologic and Water Quality Assessment of Miller Run: A Study of Bucknell University’s Impact

Human development causes degradation of stream ecosystems due to impacts on channel morphology, hydrology, and water quality. Urbanization, the second leading cause of stream impairment, increases the amount of impervious surface cover, thus reducing infiltration and increasing surface runoff of precipitation, which ultimately affects stream hydrologic process and aquatic biodiversity. The main objective of this study was to assess the overall health of Miller Run, a small tributary of the Bull Run and Susquehanna River watersheds, through an integrative hydrologic and water quality approach in order to determine the degree of Bucknell University’s impact on the stream. Hydrologic conditions, including stage and discharge, and water quality conditions, including total suspended solids, ion, nutrient, and dissolved metal concentrations, specific conductivity, pH, and temperature, were measured and evaluated at two sampling sites (upstream and downstream of Bucknell’s main campus) during various rain events from September 2007 to March 2008. The primary focus of the stream analysis was based on one main rain event on 26 February 2008. The results provided evidence that Miller Run is impacted by Bucknell’s campus. From a hydrologic perspective, the stream’s hydrograph showed the exact opposite pattern of what would be expected from a ‘normal’ stream. Miller run had a flashier downstream hydrograph and a broader upstream hydrograph, which was more than likely due to the increased amount of impervious surface cover throughout the downstream half of the watershed. From a water quality perspective, sediment loads increased at a faster rate and were significantly higher downstream compared to upstream. These elevated sediment concentrations were probably the combined result of sediment runoff from upstream and downstream construction sites that were being developed over the course of the study. Sodium, chloride, and potassium concentrations, in addition to specific conductivity, also significantly increased downstream of Bucknell’s campus due to the runoff of road salts. Calcium and magnesium concentrations did not appear to be impacted by urbanization, although they did demonstrate a significant dilution effect downstream. The downstream site was not directly affected by elevated nitrate concentrations; however, soluble reactive phosphorus concentrations tended to increase downstream and ammonium concentrations significantly peaked partway through the rain event downstream. These patterns suggest that Miller Run may be impacted by nutrient runoff from the golf course, athletic fields, and/or fertilizers applications on the main campus. Dissolved manganese and iron concentrations also appeared to slightly increase downstream, demonstrating the affect of urban runoff from roads and parking lots. pH and temperature both decreased farther downstream, but neither showed a significant impact of urbanization. More studies are necessary to determine how Miller Run responds to changes in season, climate, precipitation intensity, and land-use. This study represents the base-line analysis of Miller Run’s current hydrologic and water quality conditions; based on these initial findings, Bucknell should strongly consider modifications to improve storm water management practices and to reduce the campus’s overall impact on the stream in order to enhance and preserve the integrity of its natural water resources.

Letters from Timothy Pickering to his brother and father, 1797-1798

These two handwritten letters by Timothy Pickering were written on February 14, 1797 and June 14, 1798 to his brother John Pickering and his father Timothy Pickering, respectively. The letter to his brother, John, discusses mutual friends, classmate Thomas Lee, and John’s recent attendance at a sermon by Dr. Joseph Priestley. The letter from Timothy to his father includes a discussion of Timothy’s expenses and the amount of money needed to pay his debts, a request for new shoes for commencement, the news of Timothy’s invitation to join honor society Phi Beta Kappa, and a few comments on his forensics course at Harvard.

Report of the Commission to locate the site of the frontier forts of Pennsylvania.

Miscellaneous after 1825.