Water Sustainability

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) New England Water Science Center, in cooperation with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP), is updating a planning-level support tool to help decision makers estimate daily mean streamflows and selected streamflow statistics to assess sustainable water use across the state of Connecticut.

Possible changes in temperature and precipitation over the next several decades may have implications for New England’s agricultural community, such as changing plant water availability and crop yield variability. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the University of Maine, is predicting the potential hydrological effects based on these climatic...

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the National Park Service (NPS), is using thermal infrared technology to identify cold-water habitat for brook trout and other cold-water species in the upper Namekagon River in Wisconsin. The upper Namekagon River and its tributaries have long served as a stronghold for brook trout and other cold- and cool-water species; however, changing...

The Applied Hydrology Branch provides hydrologic data, research, and tools to water resource managers, stakeholders and policy makers that inform critical water management decisions throughout New England. This branch is divided into the Hydrology and Hydraulics Section, Water Quality Networks Section, Connecticut Water Quality Monitoring Section, and Massachusetts/Rhode Island Water Quality...

The Hydrologic Interpretive Branch collaborates with stakeholders to design, execute, and publish scientific studies that address issues associated with water resources at local, regional, and national scales. This branch has three sections that focus on watershed and urban hydrology, integrated modeling of hydrologic systems, and the development of new statistical and geospatial tools.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) Water Utility Resilience Program (WURP), is assisting public water and wastewater utilities in transitioning their service infrastructure data to geographic information systems (GIS) and updating related statewide datasets and data visualization tools. Improving access to...

The USGS New England Water Science Center, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, is collaborating on a project to improve the data management, visualization, and sharing of the state’s water use information. Additionally, two water management tools will be upgraded. The project team will develop an Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs...

The Water Cycle Center is a cooperation between U.S. Geological Survey and academic partners in the Northeast that studies complete water cycles and watersheds, from mountaintops to shorelines, concentrating on freshwater ecosystems. This research advances the understanding of processes that determine water availability and is needed to best address future water resource challenges.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, is conducting advanced site characterization activities at the Savage Municipal Water Supply Superfund site in Milford, New Hampshire, and implementing new remediation efforts based on USGS science and tools.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) New England Water Science Center, in cooperation with Acadia National Park, is assessing the erosion potential and flood vulnerability of the park’s streams, culverts, and bridges to inform management decisions on infrastructure upgrades.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) New England Water Science Center, in cooperation with the National Park Service, is compiling and evaluating all known water resources, and documented infrastructure associated with these resources, within the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument and contributing associated watersheds.

The Cambridge Water Department supplies approximately 13 million gallons per day of drinking water to more than 100,000 customers. Raw water is obtained from a serial system of three primary storage reservoirs—Cambridge Reservoir (also known as the Hobbs Brook Reservoir), Stony Brook Reservoir, and Fresh Pond Reservoir—in parts of Cambridge, Lexington, Lincoln, Waltham, and Weston, Massachusetts...