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Central Midwest Water Science Center

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Central Midwest Water Science Center

Welcome to the Central Midwest Water Science Center’s (CMWSC) Website. We offer information on streamflow, water quality, water-use, and groundwater data for Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri. We conduct unbiased, scientific hydrologic investigations & research projects to effectively manage CMWSC and our Nation's water resources through joint efforts with our partners.

 

Real Time Data Links

CMWSC Current Water Conditions

Real-time Current Conditions, Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri
Current Conditions

CMWSC Science

Image of a red dye study conducted in the Brandon Road Lock on the Des Plaines River near Joliet, Illinois, in 2015.
Science

Other Links

News

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Southeast Region (SER) Science Workshop: Identifying Science to Meet Administration Priorities and the Needs of Our Stakeholders

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USGS Unveils Mobile Flood Tool for the Nation

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USGS Responds to Spring Flooding

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Publications

Sediment and nutrient retention on a reconnected floodplain of an Upper Mississippi River tributary, 2013–2018

The connection of rivers with their floodplains has been greatly reduced in agricultural drainage basins, especially in the Upper Mississippi River Basin. The restriction of the Mississippi River from its floodplain has reduced the sediment trapping and nutrient deposition capabilities of the floodplain, exacerbating water quality problems in the river and in downstream waterbodies. A small part o
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Water Resources, Ecosystems, Central Midwest Water Science Center, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center

Intake efficiency field results for Federal Interagency Sedimentation Project bag samplers

The Federal Interagency Sedimentation Project (FISP) standardizes and advances sediment science among federal agencies. It is important to ensure that the FISP bag samplers perform isokinetically under all tested and approved conditions and collect samples that are representative of the stream or river cross-section. A measure of a sampler’s isokinetic behavior is its intake efficiency, which is d
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Water Resources, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC), Central Midwest Water Science Center

Dynamic rating method for computing discharge from time-series stage data

Ratings are used for a variety of reasons in water-resources investigations. The simplest rating relates discharge to the stage of the river. From a pure hydrodynamics perspective, all rivers and streams have some form of hysteresis in the relation between stage and discharge because of unsteady flow as a flood wave passes. Simple ratings are unable to represent hysteresis in a stage/discharge rel
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Central Midwest Water Science Center
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Science

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CMWSC Technician prepares to monitor lake bathymetric data.

Bathymetry and Water-Quality of Surface Water Bodies in Cook County, Illinois

Surface water bodies in Cook County are used for stormwater detention, domestic and industrial uses, recreation, and commercial navigation. However, the bathymetry (elevation of the bottom surface) of most water bodies in Cook County has not been measured or mapped comprehensively. Similarly, water quality in most of these water bodies is unknown.
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Central Midwest Water Science Center
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Bathymetry and Water-Quality of Surface Water Bodies in Cook County, Illinois

Surface water bodies in Cook County are used for stormwater detention, domestic and industrial uses, recreation, and commercial navigation. However, the bathymetry (elevation of the bottom surface) of most water bodies in Cook County has not been measured or mapped comprehensively. Similarly, water quality in most of these water bodies is unknown.
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USGS Hydrologist Collects a Water-Quality Sample at Henry, Illinois

Harmful Algal Bloom Research and Monitoring - CMWSC

The Central Midwest Water Science Center (CMWSC) includes three states: Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri. The water science center is responsible for providing information on discharge, water quality, water-use, and groundwater data. The Harmful Algal Bloom (HABs) team is currently researching ways to better predict, analyze, and study HABs. Better proxies for identifying and predicting river HABs...
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Central Midwest Water Science Center
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Harmful Algal Bloom Research and Monitoring - CMWSC

The Central Midwest Water Science Center (CMWSC) includes three states: Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri. The water science center is responsible for providing information on discharge, water quality, water-use, and groundwater data. The Harmful Algal Bloom (HABs) team is currently researching ways to better predict, analyze, and study HABs. Better proxies for identifying and predicting river HABs...
Learn More
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Iowa Alluvial Aquifers

Iowa Alluvial Aquifer

This study is part of ongoing research in Iowa to investigate the availability (quantity and quality) of water in alluvial aquifers that are used for agricultural, domestic, municipal, and industrial supplies. Previous research included modeling and delineation of ground water flow in the Mississippi River, Des Moines River, iowa, and Cedar River alluvial aquifers. The water quality of these and...
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Central Midwest Water Science Center
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Iowa Alluvial Aquifer

This study is part of ongoing research in Iowa to investigate the availability (quantity and quality) of water in alluvial aquifers that are used for agricultural, domestic, municipal, and industrial supplies. Previous research included modeling and delineation of ground water flow in the Mississippi River, Des Moines River, iowa, and Cedar River alluvial aquifers. The water quality of these and...
Learn More
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