USGS releases a comprehensive look at water resources in the United States
New National Water Availability Assessment offers critical insights into water supply, demand, and quality across the Nation.
New National Water Availability Assessment offers critical insights into water supply, demand, and quality across the Nation.
Water Resources Mission Area
Water information is fundamental to national and local economic well-being, protection of life and property, and effective management of the Nation’s water resources. The USGS works with partners to monitor, assess, conduct targeted research, and deliver information on a wide range of water resources and conditions including streamflow, groundwater, water quality, and water use and availability.
Message from the Associate Director
Message from the Associate Director
Learn more about the Mission Area from the Associate Director for Water Resources.
Water Data for the Nation
Water Data for the Nation
Water data collected at approximately 1.9 million sites across all 50 states.
News
Publications
U.S. Geological Survey monitoring milestones—Rio Grande at Embudo, NM (08279500) U.S. Geological Survey monitoring milestones—Rio Grande at Embudo, NM (08279500)
Located at the site of the first U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) training camp for hydrographers, the Rio Grande at Embudo, NM (08279500), streamgage has been collecting water data since January 1889. The development and adaptation of equipment and techniques at this location became the foundation of USGS streamgaging methods.
Municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plant effluent contributions to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in the Potomac River: A basin-scale measuring and modeling approach Municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plant effluent contributions to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in the Potomac River: A basin-scale measuring and modeling approach
Managing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water resources requires a basin-scale approach. Predicted environmental concentrations (PEC) and stream-vulnerability scores for PFAS were determined for the Potomac River watershed in the eastern United States. Approximately 15% of stream reaches contained municipal and/or industrial wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) discharges...
Remote sensing of river discharge based on critical flow theory Remote sensing of river discharge based on critical flow theory
Critical flow theory provides a physical foundation for inferring discharge from measurements of wavelength and channel width made from images. In rivers with hydraulically steep local slopes greater than∼0.01, flow velocities are high and the Froude number F r (ratio of inertial to gravitational forces) can approach 1.0 (critical flow) or greater. Under these conditions, undular...
Science
Increasing Efficiency During the Life Cycle of Energy Development: Key Strategies for Improving the Utilization of Our Nation's Energy Resources
Energy development is critical to American energy independence and provides economic benefits to local communities. Scientific information is needed to aid in the sustainable development of energy resources. Sustainable energy development can include strategies for protecting environmental health and ecological services that benefit local communities. The USGS Environmental Health Program, Energy...
Federal Priority Streamgages (FPS)
Federal Priority Streamgages (FPS) are automated stations that monitor water conditions in streams and rivers throughout the country. Originally established in 1999, these are important for meeting specific long-term needs of the Nation. The FPS Network was recently re-prioritized which resulted in size of the network increasing to nearly 12,400 locations.
Regional Assessment of Compound Flood Hazard from the Combined Effects of Coastal, Stormwater and Groundwater Emergence Flooding
Compound flooding is flooding that results from a co-occurrence of multiple flood drivers. In this project we consider precipitation (pluvial flooding, overland flow of stormwater), coastal storm surge and tidal flooding (coastal flooding), and flooding that occurs as a shallow water table intersects the land surface or critical infrastructure (groundwater emergence flooding). These flooding...