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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
USGS Measures Historic Flooding Across the Upper Midwest
USGS Measures Historic Flooding Across the Upper Midwest
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
Publications
Dissolved oxygen monitoring on the Souris River, 2019–23
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in partnership with the International Joint Commission installed and operated continuous water-quality monitors at three sites on the Souris River from May 2019 to October 2023. Continuously recorded data included dissolved oxygen (DO), water temperature, and specific conductance at the Souris River near Sherwood, North Dakota (USGS station 05114000), Souris River
Evidence of long-range transport of selenium downstream of coal mining operations in the Elk River Valley, Canada
Expanding coal-mining operations in the Elk River Valley (British Columbia, Canada) have increased total selenium (Se) concentrations in the transboundary Lake Koocanusa (Canada and United States), but the spatial extent of Se transport from the Elk River Mines is unknown. We evaluated multiple lines of evidence of long-range transport of Se at five sites downstream of the mines relative to a site
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.
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.