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Oregon Water Science Center

Welcome to the USGS in Oregon. Our mission is to explore the natural world around us and provide reliable scientific information to help Federal, State, and local agencies, Tribes, and the public make well-informed decisions. Our research is widely used to manage Oregon's water resources for the benefit and safety of people and the environment. 

News

Saline Lake Ecosystems IWAA Fall 2024 Webinar Series

Saline Lake Ecosystems IWAA Fall 2024 Webinar Series

Willamette River plankton & water-quality update: August 2024

Willamette River plankton & water-quality update: August 2024

Low-flow periods and trends across the United States

Low-flow periods and trends across the United States

Publications

Advancing sustainable groundwater management with a hydro-economic system model: Investigations in the Harney Basin, Oregon

Groundwater resources frequently trend toward unsustainable levels because, absent effective institutions, individual water users generally act independently without considering the impacts on other users. Hydro-economic models (HEMs) of human-natural systems can play a positive role toward successful groundwater management by yielding valuable knowledge and insight. The current study explores how
Authors
William K. Jaeger, John M. Antle, Stephen B. Gingerich, Daniel Bigelow

Managing water for birds— A tool for the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge

The “Water for Birds Tool” is an Excel-based model designed for resource managers to assess the spatial extent and types of bird habitats in the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. The model quantifies the area of open water, partial water, and water depths on a monthly timescale during the irrigation season (April–July) from 2021–2024. This model combines previously published datasets and incorpora

Authors
Cassandra Smith

Evaluating hydrologic model performance for characterizing streamflow drought in the conterminous United States

Hydrologic models are the primary tools that are used to simulate streamflow drought and assess impacts. However, there is little consensus about how to evaluate the performance of these models, especially as hydrologic modeling moves toward larger spatial domains. This paper presents a comprehensive multi-objective approach to systematically evaluating the critical features in streamflow drought
Authors
Caelan Simeone, Sydney Foks, Erin Towler, Timothy O. Hodson, Thomas M. Over

Science

Monitoring sediment transport and aquatic macroinvertebrate communities in the Willamette River basin

The U.S. Geological Survey is listening to rivers to understand how flows transport bedload sediment, which is fundamental to ecosystem structure and health.
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Monitoring sediment transport and aquatic macroinvertebrate communities in the Willamette River basin

The U.S. Geological Survey is listening to rivers to understand how flows transport bedload sediment, which is fundamental to ecosystem structure and health.
Learn More

New gages help characterize extent of spring Chinook salmon habitat in the Willamette Basin

Learn about our new streamgages in the Williamette River Basin.
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New gages help characterize extent of spring Chinook salmon habitat in the Willamette Basin

Learn about our new streamgages in the Williamette River Basin.
Learn More

Willamette River plankton & water-quality updates

Plankton sampling results from the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon.
link

Willamette River plankton & water-quality updates

Plankton sampling results from the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon.
Learn More
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