Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

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.

 

News

Harvesting Knowledge: A Recap of the USGS-NPS-Tribal Collaboration at Effigy Mounds National Monument

Harvesting Knowledge: A Recap of the USGS-NPS-Tribal Collaboration at Effigy Mounds National Monument

Friday's Findings: Environmental Contaminants and Agricultural Production

Friday's Findings: Environmental Contaminants and Agricultural Production

StreamStats regression equation updates for Illinois

StreamStats regression equation updates for Illinois

Publications

Controlling invasive carp ichthyoplankton dispersion using a streamwise-oriented bubble screen: A proof-of-concept validation in a laboratory flume Controlling invasive carp ichthyoplankton dispersion using a streamwise-oriented bubble screen: A proof-of-concept validation in a laboratory flume

Recent evidence of invasive grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) reproducing in tributaries to the Laurentian Great Lakes has highlighted the need for control efforts targeting multiple life stages. Initial attempts to control dispersal of downstream-drifting invasive carp ichthyoplankton (i.e., eggs and larvae) using an oblique bubble screen (OBS) revealed that nearly neutrally buoyant...
Authors
Vindhyawasini Prasad, Henry F. Doyle, Cory Suski, P. Ryan Jackson, Amy E. George, Jesse Robert Fischer, Benjamin H. Stahlschmidt, Anne Marie Herndon, Rafael O. Tinoco

Development and assessment of fluorescent-dyed, preserved invasive grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) eggs as surrogates for live eggs in transport and dispersal control experiments Development and assessment of fluorescent-dyed, preserved invasive grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) eggs as surrogates for live eggs in transport and dispersal control experiments

Invasive species such as grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) pose substantial ecological threats to North American freshwater ecosystems. Understanding their early life stage behavior is critical for management efforts. From spawning to hatching, invasive carp eggs must remain suspended in the water column while drifting downstream for the best chance of survival. This highly vulnerable...
Authors
Henry F. Doyle, Benjamin H. Stahlschmidt, Anne Marie Herndon, Vindhyawasini Prasad, Amy E. George, Jesse Robert Fischer, P. Ryan Jackson, Cory D. Suski, Rafael O. Tinoco

Floods of June 2024 in northwestern Iowa Floods of June 2024 in northwestern Iowa

Following a heavy, multiday rainfall event that took place between June 20 and June 22, 2024, widespread flooding occurred in parts of northwestern Iowa. Ten U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamgages with periods of record ranging from 56 to 99 years in length experienced new peaks of record, three of which were more than double the previous peak-of-record: 06483500 (Rock River near Rock...
Authors
Mackenzie K. Marti, Padraic S. O’Shea

Science

From Stream to Spider: How PFAS Move Through Aquatic and Terrestrial Food Webs

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent synthetic chemicals that accumulate in the environment and living organisms. A USGS study examined how different PFAS compounds move through a stream ecosystem and are transferred from aquatic to terrestrial food webs. The findings documented that not all PFAS behave the same once they enter the environment, leading to differences in...
From Stream to Spider: How PFAS Move Through Aquatic and Terrestrial Food Webs

From Stream to Spider: How PFAS Move Through Aquatic and Terrestrial Food Webs

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent synthetic chemicals that accumulate in the environment and living organisms. A USGS study examined how different PFAS compounds move through a stream ecosystem and are transferred from aquatic to terrestrial food webs. The findings documented that not all PFAS behave the same once they enter the environment, leading to differences in...
Learn More

Bioenergy and Pesticides: Lessons from the AltEn Bioenergy Plant

Ethanol production from seed corn, while reducing waste and promoting renewable energy, can have environmental and health implications. A USGS study on a former bioenergy plant that received pesticide-coated seeds used for ethanol production, revealed that the process led to contaminated wastewater and solid residue, resulting in elevated pesticide levels in nearby surface waters even after the...
Bioenergy and Pesticides: Lessons from the AltEn Bioenergy Plant

Bioenergy and Pesticides: Lessons from the AltEn Bioenergy Plant

Ethanol production from seed corn, while reducing waste and promoting renewable energy, can have environmental and health implications. A USGS study on a former bioenergy plant that received pesticide-coated seeds used for ethanol production, revealed that the process led to contaminated wastewater and solid residue, resulting in elevated pesticide levels in nearby surface waters even after the...
Learn More

Assessment of Groundwater and Quality - Cedar River Project

Assessment of Groundwater and Quality: Cedar River Alluvium, Cedar Rapids, Iowa Period of Project: Since 1992 Project Managers: Shannon Meppelink & Emilia Bristow Study Area: Linn County Cooperating Agency: City of Cedar Rapids (Water Division)
Assessment of Groundwater and Quality - Cedar River Project

Assessment of Groundwater and Quality - Cedar River Project

Assessment of Groundwater and Quality: Cedar River Alluvium, Cedar Rapids, Iowa Period of Project: Since 1992 Project Managers: Shannon Meppelink & Emilia Bristow Study Area: Linn County Cooperating Agency: City of Cedar Rapids (Water Division)
Learn More
Was this page helpful?