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Water data for Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin

Access real-time and historical data for surface water, groundwater, water quality, and water use

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Edge-of-field monitoring

Testing the effectiveness of agricultural conservation practices for reducing nutrient and sediment runoff

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SPARROW models of streamflow and nitrogen, phosphorus, and suspended-s

SPARROW Watershed Models of Loads in Midwest Streams

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Great Lakes urban stormwater monitoring

Assessing the ability of green infrastructure to reduce stormwater runoff in Great Lakes urban areas

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Great Lakes mercury sources revealed

Mercury "footprinting" identifies sources of pollution in the Great Lakes

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Upper Midwest Water Science Center

Our USGS Upper Midwest Water Science Center priority is to continue the important work of the Department of the Interior and the USGS, while also maintaining the health and safety of our employees and community.  Based on guidance from the White House, the CDC, and state and local authorities, we are shifting our operations to a virtual mode and have minimal staffing within our offices. If you need additional assistance, please contact Center Director John Walker at jfwalker@usgs.gov.

Current conditions in MI, MN, and WI

Explore real-time streamflow, groundwater, and water-quality conditions and access data with our interactive map application.

Message from the Director

Headshot of John F. Walker

Learn more about the Upper Midwest Water Science Center from John Walker, our Center Director.

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UMid WSC Quick Links

News

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Media Alert: Hunter Survey Available for Green Bay and Lake Michigan

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Project Underway to Identify Algal Toxins in US National Park Waterways

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Water Resources in Minnesota Significantly Improved by Land Restoration

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Publications

Understanding sources and distribution of Escherichia coli at Lake St. Clair Metropark Beach, Macomb County, Michigan

Lake St. Clair Metropark Beach (LSCMB) in Michigan is a public beach near the mouth of the Clinton River that has a history of beach closures for public health concerns. The Clinton River is designated as a Great Lakes Area of Concern, and the park has a Beneficial Use Impairment for beach closings because of elevated Escherichia coli (E. coli) concentrations. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooper
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Ecosystems, Michigan-Ohio Water Science Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Water Science Center, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center

Risk-based prioritization of organic chemicals and locations of ecological concern in sediment from Great Lakes tributaries

With improved analytical techniques, environmental monitoring studies are increasingly able to report the occurrence of tens or hundreds of chemicals per site, making it difficult to identify the most relevant chemicals from a biological standpoint. For this study, organic chemical occurrence was examined, individually and as mixtures, in the context of potential biological effects. Sediment was c
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Water Resources, Idaho Water Science Center, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center

Use case development for earth monitoring, analysis, and prediction (EarthMAP)—A road map for future integrated predictive science at the U.S. Geological Survey

Executive SummaryThe U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 21st-century science strategy 2020–30 promotes a bureau-wide strategy to develop and deliver an integrated, predictive science capability that works at the scales and timelines needed to inform societally relevant resource management and protection and public safety and environmental health decisions (U.S. Geological Survey, 2021). This is the ove
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Ecosystems, Water Resources, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Western Geographic Science Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center, California Water Science Center
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Science

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Four USGS scientists on a canoe sampling pore water water

National Crude Oil Spill Fate and Natural Attenuation Research Site near Bemidji Minnesota

The primary focus of the science team at the site is to improve the understanding of the mobilization, attenuation, transport, fate, potential health effects, and remediation of petroleum in the subsurface through collaborative research, peer-reviewed publications, presentations, data, and educational activities.
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Ecosystems, Environmental Health Program, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Upper Midwest Water Science Center
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National Crude Oil Spill Fate and Natural Attenuation Research Site near Bemidji Minnesota

The primary focus of the science team at the site is to improve the understanding of the mobilization, attenuation, transport, fate, potential health effects, and remediation of petroleum in the subsurface through collaborative research, peer-reviewed publications, presentations, data, and educational activities.
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Scientist collecting homeowner water sample

Southwest Wisconsin Groundwater and Geology (SWIGG) study

The fractured bedrock aquifers of southwest Wisconsin are often overlain by shallow soils, so private wells are potentially vulnerable to contamination by nitrate and pathogens from the land surface. The goal of this study is to evaluate the extent and causes of private well water contamination in three southwest Wisconsin counties.
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Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Laboratory for Infectious Disease and the Environment
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Southwest Wisconsin Groundwater and Geology (SWIGG) study

The fractured bedrock aquifers of southwest Wisconsin are often overlain by shallow soils, so private wells are potentially vulnerable to contamination by nitrate and pathogens from the land surface. The goal of this study is to evaluate the extent and causes of private well water contamination in three southwest Wisconsin counties.
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algae

Mixtures of Algal Toxins Present Prior to and After Formation of Visible Algal Blooms—Science to Inform the Timing of Algal Toxin Exposure

Cyanobacteria with toxin-producing potential, genes indicating an ability for toxin synthesis, or cyanotoxins were present before and after formation of a visible algal bloom in Kabetogama Lake, a popular recreation area in Voyageurs National Park that lies along the border of Minnesota and Canada. The temporal patterns observed in this study indicate that sampling only when there is a visible...
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Ecosystems, Contaminant Biology, Environmental Health Program, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Upper Midwest Water Science Center
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Mixtures of Algal Toxins Present Prior to and After Formation of Visible Algal Blooms—Science to Inform the Timing of Algal Toxin Exposure

Cyanobacteria with toxin-producing potential, genes indicating an ability for toxin synthesis, or cyanotoxins were present before and after formation of a visible algal bloom in Kabetogama Lake, a popular recreation area in Voyageurs National Park that lies along the border of Minnesota and Canada. The temporal patterns observed in this study indicate that sampling only when there is a visible...
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