Arizona Water Science Center
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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.
Featured Science
Changes in the amount of water stored in underground aquifers cause small changes in Earth’s gravitational field. Scientists measure these small changes to map changes in groundwater storage and to improve models that simulate groundwater flow.
Learn MoreNews
USGS Prepares to Measure Flooding Across Arizona
Reporters: Do you want to accompany a USGS field crew as they measure flooding? Please contact Jennifer LaVista or Jim Leenhouts
Levels of Possible Human Carcinogen Declining in Most Wells in Tucson International Airport Superfund Site
Levels of a potential human carcinogen, 1,4-dioxane, have mostly declined in wells in the commercial and residential areas of the Tucson International Airport Area Superfund Site during 2002-2017, according to a new map published by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Uranium in Spring Water North of Grand Canyon Likely Not Related to Nearby Mining Activity
Uranium levels in Pigeon Spring, just north of the Grand Canyon, are likely due to a natural source of uranium and not related to the nearby former Pigeon Mine, according to a recent study by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Publications
Reach-scale monitoring and modeling of rivers—Expanding hydraulic data collection beyond the cross section
For over 125 years, the U.S. Geological Survey streamgage network has provided important hydrologic information about rivers and streams throughout the Nation. Traditional streamgage methods provide reliable stage and streamflow data but typically only monitor stage at a single location in a river and require frequent calibration streamflow...
Forbes, Brandon T.; Bunch, Claire E.; DeBenedetto, Geoffrey; Shaw, Corey J.; Gungle, Bruce
Seasonality of climatic drivers of flood variability in the conterminous United States
Flood variability due to changes in climate is a major economic and social concern. Climate drivers can affect the amount and distribution of flood-generating precipitation through seasonal shifts in storm tracks. An understanding of how the drivers may change in the future is critical for identifying the regions where the magnitude of floods may...
Dickinson, Jesse E.; Harden, Tessa M.; McCabe, Gregory
Escherichia coli in the Santa Cruz River in Tumacácori National Historical Park, Arizona
At Tumacácori National Historical Park in southern Arizona, resource managers are concerned about microbial pathogens in the Santa Cruz River that could pose a serious health risk to employees and visitors. The U.S. Geological Survey recently completed a comprehensive 3-year study of water quality in the Santa Cruz River watershed that...
Paretti, Nicholas V.