The quality of our Nation's waters: groundwater quality in the Columbia Plateau and Snake River Plain basin-fill and basaltic-rock aquifers and the Hawaiian volcanic-rock aquifers, Washington, Idaho, and Hawaii, 1993-2005

Rupert, Michael G.; Hunt, Carlton C.; Skinner, Kenneth D.; Frans, Lonna M.; Mahler, Barbara J.

doi:10.3133/cir1359

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 31 publications

(42 reference statements)

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“…Wells in the Piedmont and Blue Ridge are generally shallower (median 108 m compared with 142 m) and much more likely to produce modern water; also, some layers of the Columbia Plateau basalt can act as confining layers. 69 Of the two interior sandstone PASs, the areal proportion for the Colorado Plateau (12.1%) is the lowest of any PAS and more consistent with previous NAWQA results 9 than that of the Cambrian− Ordovician (39.5%). Because wells in the Cambrian− Ordovician typically are deeper (median 267 m compared with 147 m), with more common confinement and production of premodern water, this difference in the rate of detection likely is driven by much greater pesticide loading on the predominantly agricultural land (73%) overlying the Cambrian−Ordovician relative to the Colorado Plateaus (2% agricultural land).…”

Section: ■ Results and Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

“…Of the two metamorphic/igneous PASs, the Piedmont and Blue Ridge crystalline aquifers have a higher areal proportion (53.6%) than the Columbia Plateau basaltic aquifer (35.6%). Wells in the Piedmont and Blue Ridge are generally shallower (median 108 m compared with 142 m) and much more likely to produce modern water; also, some layers of the Columbia Plateau basalt can act as confining layers . Of the two interior sandstone PASs, the areal proportion for the Colorado Plateau (12.1%) is the lowest of any PAS and more consistent with previous NAWQA results than that of the Cambrian–Ordovician (39.5%).…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 83%

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Pesticides and Pesticide Degradates in Groundwater Used for Public Supply across the United States: Occurrence and Human-Health Context

Bexfield

Belitz

Lindsey

et al. 2020

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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This is the first assessment of groundwater from public-supply wells across the United States to analyze for >100 pesticide degradates and to provide human-health context for degradates without benchmarks. Samples from 1204 wells in aquifers representing 70% of the volume pumped for drinking supply were analyzed for 109 pesticides (active ingredients) and 116 degradates. Among the 41% of wells where pesticide compounds were detected, nearly two-thirds contained compound mixtures and three-quarters contained degradates. Atrazine, hexazinone, prometon, tebuthiuron, four atrazine degradates, and one metolachlor degradate were each detected in >5% of wells. Detection frequencies were largest for aquifers with more shallow, unconfined wells producing modern-age groundwater. To screen for potential human-health concerns, benchmark quotients (BQs) were calculated by dividing concentrations by the human-health benchmark, when available. For degradates without benchmarks, estimated values (estimated benchmark quotients (BQE)) were first calculated by assuming equimolar toxicity to the most toxic parent; final analysis excluded degradates with likely overestimated toxicity. Six pesticide compounds and 1.6% of wells had concentrations approaching levels of potential concern (individual or summed BQ or BQE values >0.1), and none exceeded these levels (values >1). Therefore, although pesticide compounds occurred frequently, concentrations were low, even accounting for mixtures and degradates without benchmarks.

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Section: ■ Results and Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 83%

Pesticides and Pesticide Degradates in Groundwater Used for Public Supply across the United States: Occurrence and Human-Health Context

Bexfield

Belitz

Lindsey

et al. 2020

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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show abstract

“…For instance, water stress due to droughts and flooding has increasingly focused attention on how watershed ecosystems are being impacted by food production, specifically by agricultural runoff containing fertilizers and pesticides. In Idaho, excess application of fertilizers has been reported to impact groundwater quality in the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer, which is the source of drinking water for over 300,000 residents of southern Idaho [ 87 ]. While fertilizers increase crop yield, the return flow of irrigated water delivers contaminants and sediment to the shallow groundwater system, which impacts the supply of drinking and urban use water.…”

Section: State Case Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of Efficacy, Values, and Knowledge on Public Preferences Concerning Food–Water–Energy Policy Tradeoffs

Gardezi

Steel

Lavado

2020

IJERPH

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Food, water, and energy (FWE) policies often entail contentious tradeoffs. For example, increasing food production may involve irrigation from riparian sources that may adversely impact fisheries habitats, the siting of solar energy on agricultural lands can impact food production, and increasing food production capacity may require pesticides in certain locations, resulting in environmental pollution. Because public preferences are an important component of support for and opposition to FWE policy design and implementation, it is important to understand the correlates of support and opposition to FWE policy tradeoffs. Using survey data from random household surveys conducted in western U.S. states during 2018, this study examined how environmental efficacy, values, and knowledge affected FWE public tradeoff preferences. The findings suggest that these characteristics do affect public FWE tradeoff preferences, with knowledge being a strong driver of support for food production over biofuels, water friendly crops over meat production and conservation over water intensive agriculture. Additionally, environmental efficacy and pro-ecological attitudes drive support for access to safe drinking water and sanitation over food security for a growing population.

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Surrogate regression models estimating nitrate concentrations at six springs in Gooding County, south-central Idaho, 2018–22

Skinner

2023

Scientific Investigations Report

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Populations of endangered Banbury Springs limpet (Idaholanx fresti) and threatened Bliss Rapids snail (Taylorconcha serpenticola) are declining in springs north of the Snake River along the southern Gooding County boundary, in south-central Idaho. One hypothesis for the decline is that increased macrophyte growth, associated with elevated nitrate concentrations in the springs, is decreasing aquatic habitat for the limpet and snail populations. In support of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service efforts to understand the population declines, the U.S. Geological Survey developed surrogate regression models to estimate nitrate concentrations at six springs influenced by upgradient agriculture, which results in an increase and decrease each year of streamflow, specific conductance, and nitrate concentrations. The surrogate regression models use continuous specific conductance data and streamflow data (available at two springs from existing U.S. Geological Survey streamgages).The spring surrogate regression models showed that specific conductance can be an effective surrogate for nitrate in springs affected by agriculture and that the model results improved when streamflow data were included. Four of the six springs had surrogate regression models (using specific conductance and day of the year as explanatory variables) that performed well based on model summary statistics, and these models improved further with the inclusion of streamflow as an explanatory variable. The surrogate regression models at four springs had coefficient of determination (R 2 ) values ranging from 0.79 to 0.94. The root mean squared error of the four models ranged from 0.07 to 0.11 milligrams per liter. Two of the six springs were not well modeled, with adjusted R 2 values of 0.15 and 0.80. The surrogate regression models for these two springs also did not meet the required assumption of linearity between explanatory and response variables for linear regression. The surrogate regression models show that specific conductance can be an effective surrogate for nitrate in springs affected by agriculture and that models are improved where streamflow data are included. These surrogates improve understanding of nitrate concentration variability in the springs.

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The quality of our Nation's waters: groundwater quality in the Columbia Plateau and Snake River Plain basin-fill and basaltic-rock aquifers and the Hawaiian volcanic-rock aquifers, Washington, Idaho, and Hawaii, 1993-2005

Cited by 3 publications

References 31 publications

Pesticides and Pesticide Degradates in Groundwater Used for Public Supply across the United States: Occurrence and Human-Health Context

Pesticides and Pesticide Degradates in Groundwater Used for Public Supply across the United States: Occurrence and Human-Health Context

The Impact of Efficacy, Values, and Knowledge on Public Preferences Concerning Food–Water–Energy Policy Tradeoffs

Surrogate regression models estimating nitrate concentrations at six springs in Gooding County, south-central Idaho, 2018–22

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