Oregon Water Science Center

Despite the tremendous effort invested in reducing the use of nitrogen, widespread decreases in nitrate loads in US rivers and streams remain elusive—what gives? A new study from the USGS provides more evidence that the culprit is the slow release to streams of nitrogen that has accumulated in groundwater and other...

Lampreys in the Umpqua River basin face multiple threats, including predation by nonnative fish such as smallmouth bass.

The U.S. Geological Survey announced Friday the completion of a new mobile tool that provides real-time information on water levels, weather and flood forecasts all in one place on a computer, smartphone or other mobile device. 

USGS scientists are providing important information about off-channel features of the Willamette River, which provide habitat for many fish species including salmonids. This information will fill gaps in the data needed to effectively manage the Willamette River system.

SPARROW mappers are interactive tools that allow users to evaluate streamflow and nutrient and sediment conditions as well as the importance of different sources of contaminants in a selected river basin. Data can be visualized at different scales using maps and interactive graphs and tables.

On Labor Day, September 7, 2020, dry conditions combined with unusually strong summer winds resulted in several fires in western and southern Oregon. These fires have caused property damage and fatalities.

U.S. Geological Survey field crews are measuring flooding across the country as spring weather is in full swing. Warming temperatures, increased precipitation and snowmelt have caused moderate to major flooding in the upper Midwest, East Coast, Central Plains and the Southeast portions of the country.

The USGS Oregon Water Science Center is open and operational.

Our lunchtime seminars are held Tuesdays from 12pm to 1 pm PT. The science lectures are held at the USGS Oregon Water Science Center at 2130 SW 5th Avenue in Portland, OR (unless otherwise noted). The presentations are informal and are open to the public. Please, bring your lunch.

The USGS-PSU Partnership (UPP), established in 2007, is an innovative joint program between the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Oregon Water Science Center (ORWSC), and Portland State University (PSU). 

Our lunchtime seminars are held Tuesdays from 12pm to 1 pm PT. The science lectures are held at the USGS Oregon Water Science Center at 2130 SW 5th Avenue in Portland, OR. The presentations are informal and are open to the public. Please, bring your lunch.