Geologic Resource Assessments Subactivity The increase (+$1,200) will provide for continued implementation of Section 604 of the Energy Act of 2000. The additional funds would enable the USGS to expand its estimation and allocation of volumes of undiscovered oil and gas resources on Federal lands beyond the initial five study areas in the Rocky Mountains. The USGS would continue its consultation and collaboration with BLM, U.S. Department of Agriculture-Forest Service (USDA-FS), and DOE to prioritize areas selected for the next round of evaluation. Section 604 of the Energy Act of 2000 directed the USGS and the Department of Energy (DOE) to estimate the oil and gas resources and reserves underlying federal lands and the BLM and the USDA-FS to assess the extent and nature of any restrictions or impediments to the development of such resources. A report is to be provided to the House and Senate energy/resource committees within two years, and the inventory is to be regularly updated and made publicly available. During FY 2002, with reimbursable funding provided by the BLM, the USGS will, as part of the requirements of Section 604 of the Energy Act of 2000, estimate volumes of undiscovered oil and gas resources on federal lands in five study areas in the Rocky Mountains that have significant resource potential. These study areas are the Montana Thrust Belt in Montana, the San Juan and Paradox Basins in Colorado and New Mexico, the Uinta-Piceance Basin in Colorado and Utah, the Greater Green River Basin in Wyoming and Colorado, and the Powder River Basin in Wyoming and Montana. The BLM and USDA-FS will inventory restrictions on oil and gas development and DOE will provide reserve information for these five areas. The increase (+$500) will provide funding to investigate the nature and extent of geothermal systems and produce updated assessments of available geothermal resources in selected regions of the United States. The USGS proposes to conduct studies that will advance understanding of the thermal, chemical, and mechanical processes that lead to the collocation of high temperatures and high permeability necessary for the formation of geothermal systems and that will develop improved techniques for locating, characterizing, and exploiting these systems. The near-term focus of this effort will be in the Great Basin region of the western United States, which encompasses most of Nevada and large portions of California, Oregon, Idaho, and Utah. Most of the public land available for geothermal leasing lies within the Great Basin, and the available data indicate the presence of a substantial undeveloped geothermal energy resource that could be tapped to help provide for the growing energy requirements of the western United States. The National Research Council review of the Energy Resources Program recommended broadening the Program's energy portfolio to include alternative geologic energy resources, such as geothermal. The last national geothermal resource assessment was published in 1979, and advances in the field of geothermal energy indicate that much of the information contained in the earlier assessments is out of date. Uncontrollable cost increases for this activity total $4,189, of which $1,913 will be budgeted and $2.276 will be absorbed through increased efficiencies. Program changes for this activity total include a reduction of $348 for travel and transportation and -$1,504 in streamlining savings resulting from organizational restructuring and workforce balancing. Activity Summary Introduction Since its inception in 1879, USGS has been involved in issues related to water availability, water quality, and flood hazards. This work is conducted by more than 4,000 hydrologists, technicians, and support staff located in offices in every State. USGS efforts in most topical areas include: (1) collection, management, and dissemination of hydrologic data: (2) analysis of hydrologic systems through modeling or statistical methods; and (3) research and development leading to new methods and new understanding. The following is a basic summary of the three broad areas of work: Water Availability - Competition for water continues to increase throughout the Nation. Demands for water for agriculture, industry, cities, and for habitat for aquatic species are all in In the area of water availability, topics of recent emphasis include: • Evaluation of aquifer recharge to determine sustainable supply. • Characterization of regional hydrologic systems in highlystressed areas such as Albuquerque, the Georgia coastal plain, Everglades, Mojave Desert, and Tucson. competition for a finite supply of water. The role of USGS in this area takes several forms. One of the most visible is the operation of streamgages that measure the flow of rivers. USGS operates about 7,000 of these gages and provides the data on a real-time basis over the internet as well as providing the historical records for use in resource planning and dispute resolution. USGS also measures ground-water levels in wells as part of an overall effort to accurately define the ground-water resources of the Nation, to make models that predict the impact of proposed ground-water development, and to define the changing status of ground-water resources. In addition, USGS is the sole source of information for the Nation on how much water is used for agriculture, industry. commerce, or residences. The maps, models, statistical studies, and historical records of ground water, surface water, and water use are essential to virtually every project aimed at developing the resource or modifying the manner in which it is managed. During times of drought, water managers tum to USGS to determine the status of ground-water and surface • Development of a comprehensive plan for streamflow information and establishment of a National Streamflow Information Program. • Deployment of new Internetbased systems for delivering hydrologic data Water Resources Investigations water supplies, as they evaluate their management options. FY 2002 Congressional appropriations language directed USGS to submit, by January 31, a report outlining a comprehensive plan for a nationwide assessment of water availability. Early in FY 2002, USGS sent a letter soliciting input for the report to about 100 people, including academics, leaders of national organizations involved in water, National Research Council boards and committees, and Federal agency officials. USGS has received considerable input by email, phone conversations, and small group meetings, and has prepared a draft report. As of early February, this draft report is undergoing review prior to transmittal to the Congress. Water Quality - The Nation has made great strides since 1972 in improving the quality of its surface and ground waters, yet important issues remain. Emerging topics of attention for USGS include the sources, fate, and transport of nutrients, pesticides, pathogens, and pharmaceuticals in water. USGS works closely with State and local agencies and Federal agencies such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) on these studies that have a strong connection to human health issues. Topics of recent emphasis include: • Leadership of interagency studies of the Mississippi River Basin as it relates to Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia. • Analysis of the distribution and fate of MTBE (a gasoline additive) in ground water. Comparisons of pesticide contamination of urban • Analysis of natural attenuation as a means of National Research Council report: U.S. Department of the Interior have to of physical, chemical, or biological processes that, under favorable conditions, act • Mapping of naturally occurring levels of arsenic and radium in drinking water supplies. Assistance to the States in providing the scientific basis for TMDLs (Total Maximum Daily Loads). The Clean Water Act requires States to develop and implement plans to improve the quality of waters that are impaired. TMDLs depend on sound data on water quality, streamflow, and sources of contamination. Analysis of water-level management and its role in mercury contamination of fish in the • Delivery of real-time estimates of pathogens or toxic substances in water, to help regulators and the public avoid dangerous use or contact with water. 208 Activity Summary Flood Hazards - More lives and property are lost due to flooding than any other natural disaster. The U.S. Corps of Engineers estimates that flood losses in the United States average more than $5 billion per year. Hydrologic information from USGS is needed to help reduce these losses. The information is used in two ways. First, the long-term hydrologic records from USGS streamgages are used to estimate flood risks (like the 100-year flood), which are then used to map out areas for flood insurance and flood zoning, and in the design of flood-resistant infrastructure such as roads, bridges, culverts, spillways, and floodwalls. It is important that the streamgages that provide this information continue to operate so that changing land use and long-term climate variations can be taken into account in the risk estimates. Second, the data collected at USGS streamgages are delivered rapidly to citizens, communities, and businesses (via satellite and the Internet) so that they can make the best possible decisions about protecting their lives and property during a flood. The National Weather Service depends on USGS streamgage data in making the river forecasts that are so vital to public safety and prevention of flood damages. Recent emphasis has been placed on providing more reliable information delivery, modernizing the existing streamgages to deliver the data in real-time, and adding new stations at locations where better flood warnings are needed by flood-prone population centers. Budget Structure Change for FY 2003 The programs funded under the Water Resources Investigations Activity are designed to provide the information and scientific understanding needed for the best use and management of the Nation's water resources. To accomplish this mission, USGS cooperates with State and local governments, with other Department of Interior bureaus, and with other Federal agencies, in a broad program of research, interpretive water-resources studies, and data collection and dissemination. In FY 2003, USGS is proposing to restructure the Water Resources Investigations Activity, in response to increased interest in the National Streamflow Information Program (NSIP). This proposal is based primarily on the need to clearly delineate the location of the NSIP in the budget structure. The proposal also combines two small line items into one, moves two small items into more appropriate line items, and reduces the number of subactivities from four to three. The resulting new budget structure will allow for clearer delineation of USGS water programs, so that our customers and stakeholders can better understand the linkages between budget line items and the programs they are familiar with. Over the past several years, USGS has undertaken a truly integrated planning effort for enhancing the national network, known as NSIP. The current (FY 2002) budget structure does not allow for clear identification of NSIP; the funding for NSIP thus far has been a small part of a much larger line item in the budget (Hydrologic Networks and Analysis). Increases and decreases in other aspects of this line item complicate communications regarding the status of NSIP funding. Thus, USGS proposes to move these activities into a new separate NSIP line item. USGS also proposes four smaller changes in the budget structure: • Remove the funding for ground-water level data collection nationwide, and monitoring of the High Plains aquifer in particular, that currently resides in the current Hydrologic Networks and Analysis (HNA) line item, and merge it into the existing Ground-Water Resources Program line item ($474K in FY 2002). Water Resources Investigations • Merge the small Water Information Delivery Program into the remainder of the HNA line item. • Consolidate the two parts of the water quality program with the National Park Service into one, within HNA. A portion of this funding ($883K in FY 2002) is currently housed in the National Water-Quality Assessment Program, and the remainder ($1,324K in FY 2002) is housed in HNA. This consolidation would not lead to any change in the management of this successful partnership. Merge the two subactivities, "Water Resources Assessment and Research" and "Water 210 |