Water data for Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin
Access real-time and historical data for surface water, groundwater, water quality, and water use
Access real-time and historical data for surface water, groundwater, water quality, and water use
Edge-of-field monitoring
Testing the effectiveness of agricultural conservation practices for reducing nutrient and sediment runoff
Testing the effectiveness of agricultural conservation practices for reducing nutrient and sediment runoff
SPARROW models of streamflow and nitrogen, phosphorus, and suspended-s
SPARROW Watershed Models of Loads in Midwest Streams
SPARROW Watershed Models of Loads in Midwest Streams
Great Lakes urban stormwater monitoring
Assessing the ability of green infrastructure to reduce stormwater runoff in Great Lakes urban areas
Assessing the ability of green infrastructure to reduce stormwater runoff in Great Lakes urban areas
Great Lakes mercury sources revealed
Mercury "footprinting" identifies sources of pollution in the Great Lakes
Mercury "footprinting" identifies sources of pollution in the Great Lakes
Upper Midwest Water Science Center
Welcome to the Upper Midwest Water Science Center’s (UMid) Website. We offer information on streamflow, water quality, water-use, and groundwater data for Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. We conduct unbiased, scientific hydrologic investigations and research projects to effectively manage the Upper Midwest's and our Nation's water resources through joint efforts with our partners.
Current conditions in MI, MN, and WI
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
Message from the Director
Learn more about the Upper Midwest Water Science Center from Steve Peterson, our Center Director.
Upper Midwest Water Science Center Quick Links
Upper Midwest Water Science Center Quick Links
News
Upper Midwest Water Science Center Great Waters Newsletter: Fall/Winter 2025/2026
Upper Midwest Water Science Center Great Waters Newsletter: Fall/Winter 2025/2026
Social Media Spotlight: 2025 Holiday Streamgage Countdown
Social Media Spotlight: 2025 Holiday Streamgage Countdown
USGS scientists explore how open-source tools can support better flood prediction and research
USGS scientists explore how open-source tools can support better flood prediction and research
Publications
Ensemble methods for history matching and uncertainty quantification with a watershed model Ensemble methods for history matching and uncertainty quantification with a watershed model
History matching of large hydrologic models is challenging due to data sparsity and non-unique process combinations (and associated parameters) that can produce similar model predictions. We develop an ensemble-based history matching (and uncertainty quantification) approach using an iterative ensemble smoother (iES) method for three cutouts of the National Hydrologic Model (NHM) and...
Teach me how to pyCap: A high-capacity well decision support tool using analytical solutions in Python Teach me how to pyCap: A high-capacity well decision support tool using analytical solutions in Python
Regulatory agencies in humid temperate environments rely on timely evaluations of streamflow depletion and drawdown to protect aquatic ecosystems and existing water users. Numerical models offer detailed insights, but their complexity and time demands often preclude their practical use in rapid decision-making. We present pycap-dss, an open-source Python package that implements a suite...
Surface variable‐based machine learning for scalable arsenic prediction in undersampled areas Surface variable‐based machine learning for scalable arsenic prediction in undersampled areas
In the United States, private wells are not federally regulated, and many households do not test for Arsenic (As). Chronic exposure is linked with multiple health outcomes, and risk can change sharply over short distances and with well depth. Coarse maps or sparse sampling often miss exceedances. Most existing models operate at ∼1 km resolution and use groundwater chemistry or detailed...
Science
Low-Cost Sensor Networks for Pluvial Flash Flood Detection and Early Warning in Urban Areas
Flooding in urban areas is a serious weather-related threat to life and property. One type of flooding, called pluvial flooding, occurs during periods of intense rainfall where runoff overwhelms the capacity of soil to absorb it. In urban areas, pluvial flooding can be particularly dangerous because much of a city is covered by impervious surfaces such as streets, roofs, and parking lots forcing...
Airborne Electromagnetic (AEM) Surveys for Southwest Michigan, 2026-2027
In partnership with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is conducting an Airborne Electromagnetic (AEM) Survey project in Southwestern Michigan during 2026 and 2027.
Great Lakes Water Authority Detroit Regional Water Quality Monitoring Program
The Great Lakes Water Authority Detroit Regional Water Quality Monitoring Program provides current and accurate water quality data to track progress toward water quality standard milestones and document long-term trends.