Water Availability and Water Use

In cooperation with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

In cooperation with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources

A Super Gage is a conventional streamflow gage equipped with continuous water-quality monitors. Super gages provide real-time data specifically designed to improved our understanding of watershed processes and to address specific water-resource issues such as climate and land-use effects, water-related human health issues, floods and droughts, or hazardous substance spills. Our ability to model...

"Super" gages provide real-time, continuous water-quality information for rivers and streams at selected Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamgages. By combining discrete and continuous data in statistical models, USGS scientists can continuously estimate constituents that are difficult to measure in real-time. For example, in-stream turbidity sensors are often used to...

Water-quality “super” gages (also known as “sentry” gages) provide real-time, continuous measurements of the physical and chemical characteristics of stream water at or near selected U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamgages in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. A super gage includes streamflow and water-quality instrumentation and representative stream sample collection for laboratory analysis. USGS...

The USGS National Water-Use Information Program collects data about the quantities of water withdrawn for specific uses: public supply, domestic, industrial, mining, thermoelectric power, irrigation, livestock, and aquaculture. On a broader scale, we research how humans interact with the hydrologic cycle throuugh water withdrawal, water delivery, consumptive use, return flows, wastewater reuse...

One of the strongest ways to ensure that science is done effectively and efficiently in the midst of ever decreasing budgets is to collaborate.

Indiana and Kentucky scientists have produced new low-flow statistics for Indiana streams, specifically for 7-day, 10-year low flow (7Q10); 30-day, 10-year low flow (30Q10); 1-day, 10-year low flow (1Q10); and harmonic mean streamflow. The low-flow statistics are critical for the state of Indiana to administer the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, watershed...

Water-well drillers’ records are used to create maps and grids of hydrogeologic properties for the glaciated United States.

How much water is stored in the soil? Does agricultural management affect this? Will this change if temperatures increase and plants need more water? In order to answer this question, we have focused on the differences in soil physical properties under four land management types (forest, pasture, traditional agriculture, and conservation agriculture) and whether these differences effect how water...

Hydrogeologic reconnaissance, well inventory, and site-specific aquifer test data are needed in order for managersto assess whether use of stormwater injection wells is technically or economically feasible for Class V undergroundinjection, file necessary permit applications, and begin the process of developing the necessary engineering designspecifications. Sanitation District No 1 requested that...

USGS is developing new and innovative ways to map the world around us.