The U.S. Geological Survey is monitoring concentrations of metals and other trace elements in water, streambed sediment, and aquatic invertebrates at 6 locations in the middle and lower portions of the mainstem Klamath River from below J.C. Boyle dam in Oregon to near the mouth on the northwestern coast of California. Included are 3 tributary monitoring sites, one each on the Scott, Salmon, and Trinity Rivers. This data release makes available major and minor trace element concentrations in surface water, bed sediment, and aquatic invertebrates collected in September 2018, and in bed sediment collected in September 2019.

The data presented include concentrations of 10 metals in sediments and composite larval amphibian tissues from 20 wetlands across the United States. Sixteen of the wetlands were sampled in 2019 and four were sampled in 2015-2016. Where possible both larval anurans (frogs and toads) and salamanders were collected from each wetland. The data also include information on metal concentrations in amphibian tissues after the gut contents were removed to understand metal bioaccumulation potential and the molar ratio of selenium to mercury in each tissue composite sample. This data release supports the following publication: Smalling, K.L., Oja, E.B., Cleveland, D.M., Davenport, J.M., Eagles-Smith, C., Grant, E.H.C., Kleeman, P.M., Halstead, B.J., Stemp, K.M., Tornabene, B.J., Bunnell, Z.J. and Hossack, B.R., 2021, Metal accumulation varies with life history, size, and development of larval amphibians: Environmental Pollution, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117638.

The data presented include concentrations of 10 metals in sediments and composite larval amphibian tissues from 20 wetlands across the United States. Sixteen of the wetlands were sampled in 2019 and four were sampled in 2015-2016. Where possible both larval anurans (frogs and toads) and salamanders were collected from each wetland. The data also include information on metal concentrations in amphibian tissues after the gut contents were removed to understand metal bioaccumulation potential and the molar ratio of selenium to mercury in each tissue composite sample. This data release supports the following publication: Smalling, K.L., Oja, E.B., Cleveland, D.M., Davenport, J.M., Eagles-Smith, C., Grant, E.H.C., Kleeman, P.M., Halstead, B.J., Stemp, K.M., Tornabene, B.J., Bunnell, Z.J. and Hossack, B.R., 2021, Metal accumulation varies with life history, size, and development of larval amphibians: Environmental Pollution, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117638.

These data establish a baseline of benthic habitats to support future change detection activities in the Klawock River Lagoon on Alaska's Prince of Wales Island. In spring 2011, benthic habitats were mapped in the lagoon, adjacent Klawock Bay, and Klawock Harbor. The mapping emphasized eelgrass beds, which are essential for the early survival of salmon fry. The Klawock River drains a 29,061-acre watershed with 132 miles of streambed habitat, supporting seven salmon and trout species. The salmon fishery is a vital economic, cultural, and food resource in the Klawock area. In 1964, a causeway was constructed, blocking access to the lagoon from Klawock Bay and significantly reducing salmon harvests. The Nature Conservancy led a partnership to construct a culvert through the causeway, reestablishing free passage between the river and Klawock Bay. This is expected to help restore full use of the river as salmon-spawning habitat and generally improve the lagoon's quality. Aerial multispectral imagery was collected over the lagoon, bay, and harbor during the week of April 19, 2011, coinciding with the causeway's breaching. Environmental factors crucial for successful benthic mapping were incorporated into mission planning. These included collecting imagery within 1.5 hours of a zero or negative tide, clear water conditions (no algal blooms or sediment plumes from runoff), low winds to avoid surface waves, and sufficient solar illumination for imaging submerged areas. Due to insufficient biomass or illumination through the water column at the time of the aerial mission, eelgrass habitats in the lagoon could not be mapped from that source. Therefore, eelgrass habitats were determined by two field-digitizing processes, conducted in August 2010 and September 2011. The final hybrid data capture habitats 10 meters by 10 meters or larger and possess the same positional accuracy as the source imagery. The layers available within the data download include: biotic, geoform, and substrate. Partners: The Nature Conservancy

These data contain concentrations of trace elements in various size fractions (less than 0.063 millimeters, 0.063 to 0.250 millimeters, 0.250 to 2 millimeters, and greater than 2 millimeters) of flood-plain core samples analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (laboratory) and x-ray fluorescence (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency).

This U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Data Release contains locations and concentrations of metals in various size fractions in floodplain-core, streambed-sediment samples, and sediment deposited on the flood plain from the December 2015 flood and underlying soils collected from along the Middle Big River and tributaries in the Southeast Missouri Barite District from 2012 to 2015. All samples were analyzed either by inductively-coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) or x-ray fluorescence (XRF). Concentrations of metals in quality-assurance samples are also presented to evaluate the effect of sample splitting and compare the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and USGS Missouri Water Science Center XRF units. Major and trace elements included in this data release include aluminum, antinomy, arsenic, barium, beryllium, bismuth, cadmium, calcium, cerium, cesium, chromium, cobalt, copper, gallium, indium, iron, lanthanum, lead, lithium, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, niobium, phosphorus, potassium, rubidium, scandium, silver, sodium, strontium, sulfur, tellurium, thallium, thorium, tin, titanium, tungsten, uranium, vanadium, yttrium, and zinc. These data tables are provided as machine readable access to the tables in the following publication: Smith, D.C., and Schumacher, J.G., 2018, Distribution of mining-related trace elements in streambed and flood-plain sediment along the middle Big River and tributaries in the Southeast Missouri Barite District, 2012–15: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2018–5103, 89 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20185103.

The U.S. Geological Survey is monitoring metal concentrations in streambed sediment pre- and post-dam removal in the lower Klamath River basin. Concentrations of aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, potassium, magnesium, manganese, nickel, lead, titanium, vanadium and zinc were sampled at 10 mainstem sites, four tributaries and two reservoirs. Mainstem and tributary collections occurred once annually in 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2024. Reservoir sediment samples (Copco and Iron Gate) were collected in 2020.

The U.S. Geological Survey is monitoring metal concentrations in streambed sediment pre- and post-dam removal in the lower Klamath River basin. Concentrations of aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, potassium, magnesium, manganese, nickel, lead, titanium, vanadium and zinc were sampled at 10 mainstem sites, four tributaries and two reservoirs. Mainstem and tributary collections occurred once annually in 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2024. Reservoir sediment samples (Copco and Iron Gate) were collected in 2020.

Between 1900 and 1932, a copper (Cu) mine operated near Gay, Michigan, along the shore of Lake Superior, discharged approximately 22.8 million metric tons of waste material known as ‘stamp sands’ (SS) to a nearby beach. This pile of SS has migrated via wind and rain along the beaches in northern Grand Traverse Bay and into Buffalo Reef, an important spawning area for Lake Trout and Lake Whitefish. During their first summer, these newly spawned fish consume benthic invertebrates and zooplankton in nearby beach habitats. SS contain elevated concentrations of metals (especially Cu) that are toxic to many invertebrate taxa, and studies have observed very few benthic taxa in areas with very high SS. Here, we sampled the invertebrate community from four beaches: one near Buffalo Reef with very high SS, one in southern Grand Traverse Bay with moderate SS, one in the nearby Little Traverse Bay with very little SS and a beach ~58 km away with no SS (Big Bay). We also re-sampled the benthos at some sites that had been sampled as part of an earlier study. Both benthic invertebrates (in August 2021) and zooplankton (in June and July 2021) were sampled along the transects at these four beaches. Sediment samples were collected at the same time as the benthic invertebrate sampling and used to quantify SS and 12 metals at each site (including Cu).

These data contain concentrations of major and trace elements measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry at the laboratory of various size fractions (less than 0.063, less than 0.250, and less than 2 millimeters) from the middle Big River and tributaries draining the Barite District.