Watershed/Basin Studies

Beavers and their dams are common sights along creeks in the Tualatin River basin. Beaver help create diverse habitats for many other animals, including birds, fish, and amphibians. The USGS studying the affect beaver activity has on the amount and quality of water in local streams, so that agencies in the basin can make strategic management and habitat restoration decisions based on science.

Nicknamed the ‘Super Monitor,’ this site has measured key water-quality values every 15 minutes since 2009.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) computes time-series of total phosphorus (TP) and suspended-sediment concentrations (SSC) and loads entering Upper Klamath Lake using continuous turbidity sensor records, discrete TP and SSC data, and continuously computed streamflow.

The USGS Water Resources Mission Area is assessing how much water is available for human and ecological needs in the United States and identifying where and when the Nation may have challenges meeting its demand for water. This information helps decision makers manage and distribute water in ways that balance competing needs. Due to its complex and competing water demands, ecological significance...

Migratory wildlife need to balance the benefits of migration and reproduction with the physiological costs. This is particularly challenging in dynamic environments like wetlands, where food levels can vary greatly from year to year. For shorebirds in the Great Basin region, saline or terminal lakes provide essential habitats during their annual life cycle. To understand how changes in hydrology...

Learn about our new streamgages in the Williamette River Basin.

Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) are working together to estimate groundwater recharge across the state.

Satellite imagery and the interplay of climate and hydrologic data tell the story of surface-water decline in the Klamath Marsh.

The Willamette River Basin reflects the conflicting water demands between humans and ecosystems—particularly salmon— and the challenge resource managers face throughout the Pacific Northwest.

The USGS has been studying the Klamath Basin for decades. The USGS provides unbiased data to Tribal partners and resource managers to aid with complex management and conservation efforts.

The USGS is monitoring water-quality above, within, and below Middle Fork Willamette and the South Santiam River dams to understand how reservoir drawdowns influence downstream water-quality conditions.

In response to increasing groundwater demand and declining groundwater levels in the Harney Basin of southeastern Oregon, the U.S. Geological Survey and Oregon Water Resources Department conducted a groundwater-availability study during 2016–22. Read to learn about the key findings