National Water-Quality Program Studies in Nevada
The USGS National Water-Quality Assessment Project (NAWQA) is now part of the USGS National Water-Quality Program (NWQP). NAWQA provides nationally consistent data and information on the quality of the Nation’s water. Studies provide information on current water-quality conditions, a baseline for trend evaluation, and an understanding of what factors affect water quality. Groundwater studies for the NAWQA program provide information on the quality of water in shallow monitoring wells, domestic-supply wells, and public-supply wells. The data collected from surface water samples will be used in a national context to describe water quality characteristics of rivers and streams influenced by various land uses (urban, agricultural, and reference).
In 1991, Congress established the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) to address where, when, why, and how the Nation's water quality has changed, or is likely to change in the future, in response to human activities and natural factors. Since then, NAWQA has been a leading source of scientific data and knowledge used by national, regional, state, and local agencies to develop science-based policies and management strategies to improve and protect water resources used for drinking water, recreation, irrigation, energy development, and ecosystem needs.
NAWQA studies have been conducted during decadal cycles:
- Cycle I: 1991-2001
- Cycle II: 2002-2012
- Cycle III: 2013-2023
NAWQA Cycle 3 has the followig science goals:
- Goal 1 –Assess the current quality of the Nation’s freshwater resources and how water quality is changing over time (Status and Trends)
- Goal 2 – Continuing: Evaluate how human activities and natural factors, such as land use and climate change, are affecting the quality of surface water and groundwater (Understanding Causes)
- Goal 3 –Determine the effects of contaminants, excess nutrients, sediment, and streamflow alteration on aquatic ecosystems (Understanding Effects)
- Goal 4 –Predict the effects of human activities, climate change, and management strategies on water quality and ecosystem condition (Forecasting)
Groundwater Studies
NAWQA studies include Land Use Studies (LUS), Major Aquifer Studies (MAS), and Principal Aquifer Studies (PAS). These three study types are based on sampling networks of wells distributed across an area of interest.
- LUS networks typically consist of observation wells that are relatively shallow;
- MAS networks typically consist of domestic-supply wells that are intermediate in depth; and
- PAS networks typically consist of public-supply wells that are relatively deep.
As part of NAWQA Cycle III, USGS scientists collect and record both water levels and water quality data on local groundwater through well networks and collect samples within LUS, MAS, and PAS network within the Basin and Range.
The Decadal Change in Groundwater Quality web-mapping application shows how concentrations of pesticides, nutrients, metals, and organic contaminants in groundwater are changing during decadal periods across the Nation:
Visit the Decadal Change in Groundwater Quality web site
Surface-Water Studies
NAWQA characterizes the status and trends of water quality and aquatic ecosystems by monitoring ambient water-quality and ecological conditions through the newly established National Water Quality Network (NWQN) for Rivers and Streams. The NWQN is the primary source of data for the systematic annual reporting of ambient conditions nationally. The new NWQN includes 22 large river coastal sites, 41 large river inland sites, 30 wadeable stream reference sites, 10 wadeable stream urban sites, and 10 wadeable stream agricultural sites.
One NWQN site currently is monitored in Nevada:
Truckee River Near Tracy (USGS Site ID 10350340)
Samples are collected from this site 18 times per year and analyzed for
- Nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus species)
- Chloride and sulfate
- Turbidity
- Dissolved organic carbon, Dissolved inorganic carbon, UV-absorbing constituents
- Selected trace elements (arsenic, lithium, selenium, and vanadium)
- Suspended sediment
- Pesticides
An annual summary of water-quality data from Nevada's NWQN is available from the USGS Water Quality Tracking web site:
Below are publications associated with this project. A list of additional NAWQA publications is available on the NAWQA web site.
Anthropogenic organic compounds in source water of nine community water systems that withdraw from streams, 2002-05
Man-made organic compounds in source water of nine community water systems that withdraw from streams, 2002-05
Water Availability--The Connection Between Water Use and Quality
Land use and the structure of western US stream invertebrate assemblages: Predictive models and ecological traits
Hydrogeologic settings and ground-water flow simulations for regional studies of the Transport of Anthropogenic and Natural Contaminants to public-supply wells - Studies begun in 2001
Dissolved solids in basin-fill aquifers and streams in the southwestern United States
Effects of agriculture and urbanization on quality of shallow ground water in the arid to semiarid western United States, 1993-2004
Occurrence of anthropogenic organic compounds in ground water and finished water of community water systems in Eagle and Spanish Springs Valleys, Nevada, 2002-2004
Impact of land use and land cover change on groundwater recharge and quality in the southwestern US
Ground-water quality in the carbonate-rock aquifer of the Great Basin, Nevada and Utah, 2003
Collection, analysis, and age-dating of sediment cores from 56 U.S. lakes and reservoirs sampled by the U.S. Geological Survey, 1992-2001
Trends in nitrate and dissolved-solids concentrations in ground water, Carson Valley, Douglas County, Nevada, 1985-2001
The USGS National Water-Quality Assessment Project (NAWQA) is now part of the USGS National Water-Quality Program (NWQP). NAWQA provides nationally consistent data and information on the quality of the Nation’s water. Studies provide information on current water-quality conditions, a baseline for trend evaluation, and an understanding of what factors affect water quality. Groundwater studies for the NAWQA program provide information on the quality of water in shallow monitoring wells, domestic-supply wells, and public-supply wells. The data collected from surface water samples will be used in a national context to describe water quality characteristics of rivers and streams influenced by various land uses (urban, agricultural, and reference).
In 1991, Congress established the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) to address where, when, why, and how the Nation's water quality has changed, or is likely to change in the future, in response to human activities and natural factors. Since then, NAWQA has been a leading source of scientific data and knowledge used by national, regional, state, and local agencies to develop science-based policies and management strategies to improve and protect water resources used for drinking water, recreation, irrigation, energy development, and ecosystem needs.
NAWQA studies have been conducted during decadal cycles:
- Cycle I: 1991-2001
- Cycle II: 2002-2012
- Cycle III: 2013-2023
NAWQA Cycle 3 has the followig science goals:
- Goal 1 –Assess the current quality of the Nation’s freshwater resources and how water quality is changing over time (Status and Trends)
- Goal 2 – Continuing: Evaluate how human activities and natural factors, such as land use and climate change, are affecting the quality of surface water and groundwater (Understanding Causes)
- Goal 3 –Determine the effects of contaminants, excess nutrients, sediment, and streamflow alteration on aquatic ecosystems (Understanding Effects)
- Goal 4 –Predict the effects of human activities, climate change, and management strategies on water quality and ecosystem condition (Forecasting)
Groundwater Studies
NAWQA studies include Land Use Studies (LUS), Major Aquifer Studies (MAS), and Principal Aquifer Studies (PAS). These three study types are based on sampling networks of wells distributed across an area of interest.
- LUS networks typically consist of observation wells that are relatively shallow;
- MAS networks typically consist of domestic-supply wells that are intermediate in depth; and
- PAS networks typically consist of public-supply wells that are relatively deep.
As part of NAWQA Cycle III, USGS scientists collect and record both water levels and water quality data on local groundwater through well networks and collect samples within LUS, MAS, and PAS network within the Basin and Range.
The Decadal Change in Groundwater Quality web-mapping application shows how concentrations of pesticides, nutrients, metals, and organic contaminants in groundwater are changing during decadal periods across the Nation:
Visit the Decadal Change in Groundwater Quality web site
Surface-Water Studies
NAWQA characterizes the status and trends of water quality and aquatic ecosystems by monitoring ambient water-quality and ecological conditions through the newly established National Water Quality Network (NWQN) for Rivers and Streams. The NWQN is the primary source of data for the systematic annual reporting of ambient conditions nationally. The new NWQN includes 22 large river coastal sites, 41 large river inland sites, 30 wadeable stream reference sites, 10 wadeable stream urban sites, and 10 wadeable stream agricultural sites.
One NWQN site currently is monitored in Nevada:
Truckee River Near Tracy (USGS Site ID 10350340)
Samples are collected from this site 18 times per year and analyzed for
- Nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus species)
- Chloride and sulfate
- Turbidity
- Dissolved organic carbon, Dissolved inorganic carbon, UV-absorbing constituents
- Selected trace elements (arsenic, lithium, selenium, and vanadium)
- Suspended sediment
- Pesticides
An annual summary of water-quality data from Nevada's NWQN is available from the USGS Water Quality Tracking web site:
Below are publications associated with this project. A list of additional NAWQA publications is available on the NAWQA web site.