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Water science

Our expertise in water science spans disciplines.

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Washington Water Science Center

This is your direct link to all kinds of water resource information. Here you'll find information on Washington's rivers and streams. You'll also find information about groundwater, water quality, and many other topics. The USGS operates the most extensive satellite network of streamgaging stations in the state, many of which form the backbone of flood-warning systems.

Current Washington Water Conditions

Current Washington Water Conditions

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

Current Conditions

View current water conditions

Uncrewed Aviation Systems Program

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Data collection provided by uncrewed aviation systems (UAS) enhances the Washington Water Science Center’s (WAWSC) ability to monitor dynamic environmental systems, respond to natural hazards, analyze the impacts of climate change, and assess landscape change.

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News

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USGS Unveils Mobile Flood Tool for the Nation

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Lending a Hand During COVID-19: Maintaining a Streamgage on the Canadian Border

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FLOwPER User’s Guide—For Collection of FLOw PERmanence Field Observations

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Publications

Multi-decadal erosion rates from glacierized watersheds on Mount Baker, Washington, USA, reveal topographic, climatic, and lithologic controls on sediment yields

Understanding land surface change in and sediment export out of proglacial landscapes is critical for understanding geohazard and flood risks over engineering timescales and characterizing landscape evolution over geomorphic timescales. We used automated Structure from Motion software to process historical aerial photographs and, with modern lidar data, generated a high-resolution DEM time series
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Eli Schwat, Erkan Istanbulluoglu, Alex Horner-Devine, Scott W. Anderson, Friedrich Knuth, David Shean
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Water Resources Mission Area, Washington Water Science Center

Northwest Forest Plan — The first 25 years (1994–2018): Watershed condition status and trends

This report describes status and trends in watershed condition across the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) area over the first 25 years since its inception in 1994. The program charged with this task is the Aquatic and Riparian Effectiveness Monitoring Program (AREMP), which has assembled information from field data collection, spatial datasets, and a host of landscape models to evaluate the status an
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Jason Dunham, Christine Hirsch, Sean Gordon, Rebecca L. Flitcroft, Nathan Chelgren, Marcía N. Snyder, David P Hockman-Wert, Gordon H. Reeves, Heidi V. Andersen, Scott K. Anderson, William A. Battaglin, Tom A. Black, Jason Brown, Shannon Claeson, Lauren Hay, Emily D. Heaston, Charles H. Luce, Nathan Nelson, Colin Penn, Mark Raggon
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Colorado Water Science Center, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Washington Water Science Center

One Ranney well can make a difference: The impacts of a radial collector well on groundwater level and quality in the Cedar River alluvial aquifer

The City of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, depends on groundwater from the Cedar River alluvial aquifer for residential and industrial use. In 2020, the city completed an additional radial collector well, or Ranney well, and was concerned that pumping from the well at high rates may lower water level elevations in the aquifer, reduce yields from nearby production wells, and change the quality of produced wat
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Adel E. Haj, Lance R. Gruhn, Stephen J. Kalkhoff
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Water Resources Mission Area, Washington Water Science Center, Central Midwest Water Science Center
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Science

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Scientist stands on water's edge holding a measurement instrument

Baseline assessment of PAH concentrations in fish from the Stillaguamish River, Washington

The Issue: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a class of oil-derived compounds widely distributed in fresh and marine waters. They pose a significant toxicity risk to fish. It can be challenging to pinpoint the source of PAHs found in wild fish populations. PAHs are widespread and come from many sources, so it is hard to determine whether fish exposure is event-related or consistent with...
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Washington Water Science Center
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Baseline assessment of PAH concentrations in fish from the Stillaguamish River, Washington

The Issue: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a class of oil-derived compounds widely distributed in fresh and marine waters. They pose a significant toxicity risk to fish. It can be challenging to pinpoint the source of PAHs found in wild fish populations. PAHs are widespread and come from many sources, so it is hard to determine whether fish exposure is event-related or consistent with...
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Backpacks site on a small gravel bar in the middle of a river

Assessing water quality related to stormwater runoff on Quinault Nation Tribal lands

The Issue: Clean and abundant freshwater supports a diverse low-land habitat in the Quinault Indian Nation (QIN). The area supports numerous large mammals, birds, all species of Pacific salmon and trout, and diverse flora. The multiple small to medium-sized streams flowing through the area may be impacted by stormwater runoff related to adjacent land use, roads, recreational activities, and...
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Washington Water Science Center
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Assessing water quality related to stormwater runoff on Quinault Nation Tribal lands

The Issue: Clean and abundant freshwater supports a diverse low-land habitat in the Quinault Indian Nation (QIN). The area supports numerous large mammals, birds, all species of Pacific salmon and trout, and diverse flora. The multiple small to medium-sized streams flowing through the area may be impacted by stormwater runoff related to adjacent land use, roads, recreational activities, and...
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Several lamprey in a tank of water with a ruler

Trend and source identification of mercury contamination in Mid-Columbia Basin Pacific lamprey larvae

The Issue: Mercury contamination and toxicity threaten Pacific lamprey recovery in the Columbia River basin. Methylmercury concentrations in larval Pacific lamprey from tributaries in the mid-Columbia were measured to be as high as 4.0 µg/g wet weight. At these concentration levels, injury is predicted to occur in more than 50% of larval and adult fish and more than 90% of early-life stage fish...
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Washington Water Science Center
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Trend and source identification of mercury contamination in Mid-Columbia Basin Pacific lamprey larvae

The Issue: Mercury contamination and toxicity threaten Pacific lamprey recovery in the Columbia River basin. Methylmercury concentrations in larval Pacific lamprey from tributaries in the mid-Columbia were measured to be as high as 4.0 µg/g wet weight. At these concentration levels, injury is predicted to occur in more than 50% of larval and adult fish and more than 90% of early-life stage fish...
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