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
Studies Reveal Presence and Distribution of PFAS in New Mexico's Water Resources
Studies Reveal Presence and Distribution of PFAS in New Mexico's Water Resources
Media Alert: USGS field crews to study avalanche prone regions using airborne techniques near Durango
Media Alert: USGS field crews to study avalanche prone regions using airborne techniques near Durango
World Water Day: How the USGS is using imagery as data for water science
World Water Day: How the USGS is using imagery as data for water science
Publications
Nutrient chemistry in the Elizabeth Lake subwatershed—Effects of onsite wastewater treatment systems on groundwater and lake water quality, Los Angeles County, California
Nutrient (nitrogen [N] and phosphorus [P] chemistry) downgradient from onsite wastewater treatment system (OWTS) was evaluated with a groundwater study in the area surrounding Elizabeth Lake, the largest of three sag lakes within the Santa Clara River watershed of Los Angeles County, California.Elizabeth Lake is listed on the “303 (d) Impaired Waters List” for excess nutrients and is downgradient
Remotely mapping gullying and incision in Maryland Piedmont headwater streams using repeat airborne lidar
Headwater streams can contribute significant amounts of fine sediment to downstream waterways, especially when severely eroded and incised. Potential upstream sediment source identification is crucial for effective management of water quality, aquatic habitat, and sediment loads in a watershed. This study explored topographic openness (TO) derived from 1-m lidar for its ability to predict incision
Science
National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP)
The National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) is a multi-partner atmospheric monitoring program that measures the concentrations and deposition of atmospheric constituents across North America. The USGS has been an NADP partner agency since 1981 and participates by providing funds for 72 National Trend Network (NTN) sites.
Phosphorus in the Susquehanna River may be tied to legacy sediment and changing pH
The Susquehanna River is the predominant source of freshwater and nutrients entering the Chesapeake Bay.
Eyes on Earth Episode 114 – The Color of Water with Landsat
We’re going to find out how researchers took an old data technique in freshwater science—physically sampling lake water—and reinvented it using satellite technology to study water quality in lakes across the U.S.