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Utah Water Science Center

The USGS Utah 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. Many employees continue to work from remote locations but can be reached via email. 

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UT Streams & Lakes

News

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Groundwater Flow to Colorado River May Decline by a Third over Next 30 Years

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Media Alert: New Flood Warning Gage in Pack Creek near Moab Utah

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Great Salt Lake Reaches New Historic Low

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Publications

Nitrogen in the Chesapeake Bay watershed—A century of change, 1950–2050

ForewordSustaining the quality of the Nation’s water resources and the health of our diverse ecosystems depends on the availability of sound water-resources data and information to develop effective, science-based policies. Effective management of water resources also brings more certainty and efficiency to important economic sectors. Taken together, these actions lead to immediate and long-term e
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Water Resources, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Water Science Center, New York Water Science Center, Pennsylvania Water Science Center, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC), Utah Water Science Center, Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center

How will baseflow respond to climate change in the Upper Colorado River Basin?

Baseflow is critical to sustaining streamflow in the Upper Colorado River Basin. Therefore, effective water resources management requires estimates of baseflow response to climatic changes. This study provides the first estimates of projected baseflow changes from historical (1984 – 2012) to thirty-year periods centered around 2030, 2050, and 2080 under warm/wet, median, and hot/dry climatic condi
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Water Resources, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center, Utah Water Science Center

Substantial declines in salinity observed across the Upper Colorado River Basin during the 20th century, 1929 to 2019

Salinity in the Colorado River Basin causes an estimated $300 to $400 million per year in economic damages in the U.S. To inform and improve salinity‐control efforts, this study quantifies long‐term trends in salinity (dissolved solids) across the Upper Colorado River Basin (UCRB), including time periods prior to the construction of large dams and preceding the implementation of salinity‐control p
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Water Resources, Utah Water Science Center
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Science

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Great Salt Lake, old staff plate

Great Salt Lake Elevations

Great Salt Lake Elevations The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has been collecting water-surface-elevation data from Great Salt Lake since 1875 and continuously since October 1902. The north part of the lake has been monitored since April 1966. In July 2021, the southern portion of the Great Salt Lake reached a new historic low, with average daily water levels dropping about an inch below...
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Utah Water Science Center
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Great Salt Lake Elevations

Great Salt Lake Elevations The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has been collecting water-surface-elevation data from Great Salt Lake since 1875 and continuously since October 1902. The north part of the lake has been monitored since April 1966. In July 2021, the southern portion of the Great Salt Lake reached a new historic low, with average daily water levels dropping about an inch below...
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Looking east towards the Wasatch mountains at the Farmington Bay outflow into the Great Salt Lake.

Quantifying Nutrient Mass and Internal Cycling in Great Salt Lake

The Great Salt Lake (GSL) is an indispensable economic and ecological resource. It provides critical habitat and food for millions of migratory birds, and generates nearly $200 million per year from recreational activities and the brine shrimp harvest industry (Bioeconomics, 2012). These uses, habitat and aquaculture, rely on a balanced supply of nutrients in the Great Salt Lake to support...
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Utah Water Science Center
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Quantifying Nutrient Mass and Internal Cycling in Great Salt Lake

The Great Salt Lake (GSL) is an indispensable economic and ecological resource. It provides critical habitat and food for millions of migratory birds, and generates nearly $200 million per year from recreational activities and the brine shrimp harvest industry (Bioeconomics, 2012). These uses, habitat and aquaculture, rely on a balanced supply of nutrients in the Great Salt Lake to support...
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Great Salt Lake railroad causeway

Great Salt Lake General Information, Facts, News, Publications and Partners

In July 2021, the southern portion of the Great Salt Lake reached a new historic low, with average daily water levels dropping about an inch below the previous record set in 1963, according to U.S. Geological Survey information collected at the SaltAir gage. -Find all news releases associated with the Great Salt Lake from the News Tab at the top of this page.
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Utah Water Science Center
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Great Salt Lake General Information, Facts, News, Publications and Partners

In July 2021, the southern portion of the Great Salt Lake reached a new historic low, with average daily water levels dropping about an inch below the previous record set in 1963, according to U.S. Geological Survey information collected at the SaltAir gage. -Find all news releases associated with the Great Salt Lake from the News Tab at the top of this page.
Learn More
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