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Welcome to the Arizona Water Science Center

The Continuous Slope-Area Method

Providing 5-minute water-level data during floods in remote areas

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Arizona Water Science Center

Welcome to the U.S. Geological Survey Arizona Water Science Center.  Our mission is to collect and interpret high quality, impartial scientific information to provide resource managers and the public with the knowledge required to understand and manage the critical water resources of Arizona and the Southwest.

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National Water Dashboard

Screenshot of USGS National Water Dashboard

National Water Dashboard - Arizona

Explore real-time streamflow, groundwater, and water-quality conditions in Arizona and across the nation.

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Featured Science

Schematic of lithology in the Grand Canyon area related to breccia pipe uranium mining.

The USGS  has collected groundwater chemistry samples since 1981 in the Grand Canyon region to better understand changes in groundwater quality that may be the result of mining activities and to identify "hot spots" with elevated metal concentrations. This manuscript presents results for the assessment of uranium in groundwater in the Grand Canyon region.

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New Online Maps for Exploring Groundwater Levels in Arizona

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Uranium in Grand Canyon Region Groundwater Mostly Complies with Federal Health Standards

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Publications

Salinity and total dissolved solids measurements for natural waters: An overview and a new salinity method based on specific conductance and water type

The total concentration of dissolved constituents in water is routinely quantified by measurements of salinity or total dissolved solids (TDS). However, salinity and TDS are operationally defined by their analytical methods and are not equivalent for most waters. Furthermore, multiple methods are available to determine salinity and TDS, and these methods have inherent differences. TDS is defined a
Authors
R. Blaine McCleskey, Charles A. Cravotta, Matthew P. Miller, Fred D. Tillman, Paul Stackelberg, Katherine J. Knierim, Daniel Wise
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Water Resources Mission Area, National Water Quality Program, Arizona Water Science Center, Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center, Oregon Water Science Center, Pennsylvania Water Science Center

Heavy: Software for forward-modeling gravity change from MODFLOW output

Fortran software, named Heavy, was developed to simulate gravity change due to water-storage change in MODFLOW groundwater models. Heavy is compatible with MODFLOW-2005 and MODFLOW-NWT models using the layer-property flow or upstream weighting packages. All of the necessary information for the gravity calculation—the geometry of the model cells, the storage coefficient, and head change—is present
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Jeffrey Kennedy, Joshua Larsen
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Arizona Water Science Center, California Water Science Center

Measuring basin-scale aquifer storage change and mapping specific yield in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, with repeat microgravity data

Study RegionThe groundwater basin underlying the City of Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.Study FocusThe study focuses on changes in groundwater storage and how those changes relate to groundwater-level changes. Groundwater storage change was measured using repeat microgravity at 35 stations from 2016 to 2021. Usually, storage is monitored by converting groundwater-level changes to storage changes usi
Authors
Jeffrey Kennedy, Meghan T. Bell
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Water Resources Mission Area, Arizona Water Science Center, New Mexico Water Science Center
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Science

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Colorado River at Imperial Dam northeast of Yuma, Arizona.

Estimation of Dissolved-Solids Concentrations Using Continuous Water-Quality Monitoring and Regression Models at Four Sites in the Yuma Area, Arizona and California

The Colorado River is controlled by an extensive system of dams and canals diverting much of the water in the United States for agricultural and municipal uses. The Water Treaty of 1944 guarantees that 1.5 million acre-feet of Colorado River water is delivered to Mexico from the United States annually. Additionally, the water delivered must meet water-quality criteria as defined in Minute 242. The...
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Arizona Water Science Center
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Estimation of Dissolved-Solids Concentrations Using Continuous Water-Quality Monitoring and Regression Models at Four Sites in the Yuma Area, Arizona and California

The Colorado River is controlled by an extensive system of dams and canals diverting much of the water in the United States for agricultural and municipal uses. The Water Treaty of 1944 guarantees that 1.5 million acre-feet of Colorado River water is delivered to Mexico from the United States annually. Additionally, the water delivered must meet water-quality criteria as defined in Minute 242. The...
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Alluvial aquifer sampling in Arizona

Southwest Gravity Program

The Southwest Gravity Program provides high-precision time-lapse gravity (repeat microgravity) data for hydrologic studies in the southwestern US. Recent projects include monitoring recharge underneath ephemeral-stream channels, monitoring aquifer-storage change in unconfined and compressible aquifers, measuring storage change at surface-spreading and injection-well artificial-recharge facilities...
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Arizona Water Science Center
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Southwest Gravity Program

The Southwest Gravity Program provides high-precision time-lapse gravity (repeat microgravity) data for hydrologic studies in the southwestern US. Recent projects include monitoring recharge underneath ephemeral-stream channels, monitoring aquifer-storage change in unconfined and compressible aquifers, measuring storage change at surface-spreading and injection-well artificial-recharge facilities...
Learn More
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This is an image of an extensometer well part of the Tucson Extensometer Well Network.

Tucson Extensometer Network

The U.S. Geological Survey Arizona Water Science Center in cooperation with Tucson Water has monitored water-level and aquifer compaction at several wells in Avra Valley and Tucson Basin since about 1980. The purpose of the data collection is to document compaction of the aquifer system in response to stresses induced by water-level change, provide control for satellite-based observations of land...
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Arizona Water Science Center
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Tucson Extensometer Network

The U.S. Geological Survey Arizona Water Science Center in cooperation with Tucson Water has monitored water-level and aquifer compaction at several wells in Avra Valley and Tucson Basin since about 1980. The purpose of the data collection is to document compaction of the aquifer system in response to stresses induced by water-level change, provide control for satellite-based observations of land...
Learn More
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