Floods, Droughts, and other Hazards
Floods, Droughts, and other Hazards
The NVWSC has been collecting streamflow data in Nevada for more than 100 years. This data is critical for our partners, like the National Weather Service, and services like the National Drought Monitor, for flood and drought predictions, forecasts, and warnings. The data we collect also are used in scientific models that study future flood and drought scenarios. The USGS WaterWatch service provides several tools for droughts and floods:
Drought: Below normal streamflow map || Streamflow Duration Hydrograph Builder || Cumulative Streamflow Hydrograph Builder
Floods: Flood and high flow condition map || Flood Tracking Chart || Cumulative Streamflow Hydrograph Builder
Filter Total Items: 8
Floods in Nevada
For more than 100 years, the USGS has played a critical role in reducing flood losses by operating a nationwide streamgage network that monitors the water level and flow of the Nation's rivers and streams. Through satellite and computer technology, streamgages transmit real-time information, which the National Weather Service (NWS) uses to issue flood warnings.
Science in the Truckee River Basin
The Truckee River flows for 120 miles from the outlet of Lake Tahoe in California, into Nevada, through the city of Reno, until it terminates at Pyramid Lake and is the only source of surface-water outflow from Lake Tahoe. The majority of the streamflow in the Truckee River comes from the Sierra Nevada snowpack. Contributions to the river in Nevada are small due to the Sierra Nevada’s “rain shadow...
Science in the Carson River Basin
The Carson River is an important water resource for residents, agriculture, and wildlife. At the headwaters, precipitation assnow and rain can produce runoff that is unregulated until it reaches Lahontan reservoir. Water flowing in the mainstem may be diverted in Carson Valley for agriculture and for municipal water uses. At Lahontan Reservoir, water imported from the Truckee River Basin is used...
Drought in Nevada
Ongoing drought, in Nevada and across the West, will require scientists to develop new ideas and techniques for measuring, monitoring, modeling, and managing water resources. NVWSC has the capabilities to meet these challenges with our extensive scientific expertise in data collection, modeling, and research. We also are creating new ways to provide data to the public and stakeholders through...
Potential Effects of Changing Climate Patterns on Subalpine Lakes in Great Basin National Park
Great Basin National Park (GRBA), in White Pine County, Nev., has six small subalpine lakes. These lakes are a priority resource for park managers due to their pristine condition and high visitation. The only trout species native to these lakes is the Bonneville cutthroat trout (BCT). In the late 1990s, GRBA began a BCT reintroduction program. The success of this program was one of the major...
Delineation of Flood-Inundation Areas in Grapevine Canyon near Scotty’s Castle, Death Valley National Park, California
On October 18, 2015 an intense, nearly stationary, thunderstorm triggered flooding in Grapevine Canyon. Grapevine Canyon Road, power and water infrastructure, and several buildings at Scotty’s Castle were damaged by the flood water, necessitating closure of the area to the public. In response to the flood event, the National Park Service requested the USGS Nevada Water Science Center perform a...
Evaporation from Lake Mead and Lake Mohave, Lower Colorado River Basin, Nevada and Arizona
The Bureau of Reclamation currently utilizes a model (24-Month Study) that projects future Colorado River reservoir volumes and potential dam operations based on current and forecasted hydrologic conditions and operational policies and guidelines. Each month, a water budget is developed, and Colorado River reservoir volumes and releases are projected for the next 24-month period. Reservoir...
Nevada Flood Chronology
The lowest annual average precipitation and one of the fastest growing populations in the United States contribute to a tendency for both the general public and land-use planners to underestimate flood hazards in Nevada, despite historical evidence of frequent flooding.