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Dakota Water Science Center
Welcome to the USGS Dakota Water Science Center! Please use these pages to explore the hydrologic data and scientific investigations we conduct on water resources of North and South Dakota.
Current Dakota Water Conditions
Current Dakota Water Conditions
Explore real-time Dakota streamflow, groundwater, and water-quality conditions and access data with our interactive map.
Science at DWSC
Science at DWSC
The Dakota Water Science Center collects high-quality hydrologic data and conducts unbiased, scientifically sound research on North and South Dakota's water resources.
DWSC Quick Links
DWSC Quick Links
Explore surrounding states water data and some of our most popular data and tools.
News
Public Invitation: Learn the Latest on Your Water Resources in the Dakotas
Public Invitation: Learn the Latest on Your Water Resources in the Dakotas
Media Alert: Public Invitation: Remembering the 1972 Flood, Planning for the Future of Water Resources
Media Alert: Public Invitation: Remembering the 1972 Flood, Planning for the Future of Water Resources
Bakken Shale unconventional oil and gas production has not caused widespread hydrocarbon contamination to date in groundwater used for water supply
Bakken Shale unconventional oil and gas production has not caused widespread hydrocarbon contamination to date in groundwater used for water supply
Publications
Why snow is crucial for water supply — And what will happen when it becomes scarce
Analysis of 70 years of snowfall in the Northern Hemisphere reveals that snow buffers the effect of varying precipitation levels on streamflow. The link highlights the need to rethink water-resource management as snow levels decline.
Peak streamflow trends and their relation to changes in climate in Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin
Flood-frequency analysis, also called peak-flow frequency or flood-flow frequency analysis, is essential to water resources management applications including critical structure design and floodplain mapping. Federal guidelines for doing flood-frequency analyses are presented in a U.S. Geological Survey Techniques and Methods report known as Bulletin 17C. A basic assumption within Bulletin 17C is t
Introduction and methods of analysis for peak streamflow trends and their relation to changes in climate in Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin
Flood-frequency analysis, also called peak-flow frequency or flood-flow frequency analysis, is essential to water resources management applications including critical structure design and floodplain mapping. Federal guidelines for doing flood-frequency analyses are presented in a U.S. Geological Survey Techniques and Methods Report known as Bulletin 17C. A basic assumption within Bulletin 17C is t
Science
Western South Dakota Hydrology Conference
The 2023 Western South Dakota Hydrology Conference will be held on April 20, 2023, at the Monument, Rapid City, SD. Registration will open on February 13, 2023. Previous years' program and abstracts are available from the "Multimedia" tab on this page.
Flood-Frequency Analysis in the Midwest: Addressing Potential Nonstationary Annual Peak-Flow Records
Period of Project: 2021 - Study Area: Midwest Cooperating Agency: Transportation Pooled Fund
Souris River Basin
Information and products on the Souris River Basin.