U.S. Geological Survey

New Maps Detail Migration Corridors Across The West

By • Nov 16, 2020
USGS

Back in 2018, the U.S. Geological Survey and several Western states formed the Corridor Mapping Team, a first-of-its-kind collaboration among state and federal wildlife biologists to map ungulate migrations.

Last week, the team published its first volume of maps, which document more than 40 big-game migration routes in Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming.

New Lab Could Help Detect/Eradicate Invasive Species In Mountain West Waterways

By editor • Aug 26, 2020

The lab going up in Boise, Idaho, will be part of a new, larger U.S. Geological Survey building. And it would test environmental DNA, or eDNA, from around the nation. That is, instead of trying to find an invasive animal, like a single mussel or fish in a lake, scientists could just sample water to test for DNA of certain species.


USGS Director Says No Job Cuts, Despite Trump Budget Calling For Them

By • Feb 21, 2020

Earlier this month, the Trump administration released its budget proposal for next year. It included significant cuts to the U.S. Geological Survey, but that agency’s director told the Mountain West News Bureau that’s not going to happen.

Interior Secretary Bernhardt Seeks Congressional Funding for Agency Relocations

By • May 10, 2019

The Department of the Interior is continuing its push to move some agency headquarters out West by asking Congress to fund the initiative.

Interior Secretary David Bernhardt is asking Congress for $10.5 million in the next fiscal year for the relocation efforts. The department says it plans to choose a new western location for the Bureau of Land Management headquarters later this year. It has also signaled that it may move the U.S. Geological Survey headquarters to the Denver area.

Yellowstone Caldera 21st In Geological Threat Assessment

By • Nov 15, 2018
United States Geological Survey

The Yellowstone caldera is ranked the 21st most dangerous volcano in the United States according to the most recent U.S. Geological Volcanic Threat Assessment. That's out of 161 volcanos.

Homes Are Using More And More Water In The Mountain West

By • Jul 19, 2018

Westerners in many states are using less water.  However that’s not the case in the Mountain West. In Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and Idaho, home usage went up; in Montana it stayed the same. Experts say these figures are based less on population growth and more on state water policies.

Scientists Use Electromagnetic Technology To Examine What Lies Beneath Yellowstone

By • Nov 7, 2016
UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

This week, a survey will begin to map the underground hydrothermal features of Yellowstone National Park for the first time.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in collaboration with the Aarhus University in Denmark and the University of Wyoming, will use a helicopter carrying electromagnetic technology that resembles a giant hula hoop to record tiny voltage signals.

USGS Studies American Bullfrog Invasion In Grand Teton National Park

By • Jul 6, 2016
Flicker Creative Commons

The U.S. Geological Survey is tracking the spread of an invasive species, the American bullfrog, in Montana and Grand Teton National Park. They’re using genetics to determine where the species originated so they can manage their numbers.