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Current Water Conditions for Wyoming

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Current Water Conditions for Montana

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Current Research

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Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center

Welcome to the USGS Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center, your source for water-resource data and information.

Current Wyoming-Montana Water Conditions

WY-MT Current Water Conditions

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

Current Conditions

Geospatial Research and Development to Understand Hydrologic Processes

Mean annual streamflow permanence probability in a section of the Blackfoot River Basin

Geospatial data, such as remote sensing images and map based information, provide an opportunity to evaluate hydrologic systems with a spatially continuous data set.

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News

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Tailored sediment sampling can lead to more effective management

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USGS scientists with the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative lead field tour to share science outcomes with partners and stakeholders.

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USGS Media Alert: USGS crews continue to measure and assess Yellowstone River flood conditions and probabilities

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Publications

Growth of coal mining operations in the Elk River Valley (Canada) linked to increasing solute transport of Se, NO3-, and SO42- into the transboundary Koocanusa Reservoir (USA-Canada)

Koocanusa Reservoir (KOC) is a waterbody that spans the United States (U.S.) and Canadian border. Increasing concentrations of total selenium (Se), nitrate + nitrite (NO3–, nitrite is insignificant or not present), and sulfate (SO42–) in KOC and downstream in the Kootenai River (Kootenay River in Canada) are tied to expanding coal mining operations in the Elk River Watershed, Canada. Using a paire
Authors
Meryl Biesiot Storb, Ashley Morgan Bussell, Sara L. Caldwell Eldridge, Robert M. Hirsch, Travis S. Schmidt
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center, Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center

Development of a Surface-Water Index of Permanence to assess surface-water availability for ecohydrological refugia

Surface-water availability has major implications for the environment and society in the 21st century. With climate change, increased drought severity, and altered water and land use, future water availability is predicted to continue to decline in many areas, including much of the western United States. An understanding of where and when water will be available at multiple scales is crucial for t
Authors
Alynn Martin, Roy Sando, Lindsey Thurman, Kyle McLean, Patrick Wurster, John Jones, Anteneh Sarbanes
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center

Predicting water quality in the Clark Fork near Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site, southwestern Montana

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) provides a wide range of streamflow, groundwater, and water-quality data to Government, commercial, academic, and public users. The USGS has a record of success with using optical turbidity sensors to predict suspended-sediment concentrations in rivers and streams. Turbidity sensors collect backscatter signals from suspended particles in water, which can be accura
Authors
Christopher A. Ellison
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Water Resources Mission Area, Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center
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Science

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Kootenai River Basin Dissolved Selenium Data

Water-quality sampling for selenium in the Lake Koocanusa Basin has been occurring since 1972. The USGS WY-MT WSC began a sampling program on the lake in 2018. Water-quality data are collected on the inflows to Lake Koocanusa, in the lake itself, and on the Kootenai River downstream of Libby Dam. All data are available online. Data in graphs are updated monthly to present the latest results. All...
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Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center
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Kootenai River Basin Dissolved Selenium Data

Water-quality sampling for selenium in the Lake Koocanusa Basin has been occurring since 1972. The USGS WY-MT WSC began a sampling program on the lake in 2018. Water-quality data are collected on the inflows to Lake Koocanusa, in the lake itself, and on the Kootenai River downstream of Libby Dam. All data are available online. Data in graphs are updated monthly to present the latest results. All...
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Continuous water quality gaging station located on the floating dock

Selected Water-Quality Regulation Resources for the Koocanusa Watershed in the United States and Canada

The United States, Canada, the States of Montana and Idaho, and Province of British Columbia all have different regulatory levels for the selenium, nitrate, and sulfate that affect the rivers and lakes in the Kootenei Basin. Links to those entities’ web pages describing the different regulations are provided to help provide perspective to the results of this study.
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Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center
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Selected Water-Quality Regulation Resources for the Koocanusa Watershed in the United States and Canada

The United States, Canada, the States of Montana and Idaho, and Province of British Columbia all have different regulatory levels for the selenium, nitrate, and sulfate that affect the rivers and lakes in the Kootenei Basin. Links to those entities’ web pages describing the different regulations are provided to help provide perspective to the results of this study.
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Lake Koocanusa

Growth of coal mining operations in the Elk River Valley linked to increasing transport of selenium, nitrate, and sulfate into Koocanusa Reservoir

The Koocanusa Reservoir (also called Lake Koocanusa) is a transboundary reservoir that's located in northwestern Montana and southwestern British Columbia, Canada (BC) and encompasses the headwaters of the Kootenai watershed, eventually flowing into the Columbia River. Coal mining has occurred in the Elk River watershed in British Columbia, Canada for more than 100 years. Concentrations of...
By
Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center
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Growth of coal mining operations in the Elk River Valley linked to increasing transport of selenium, nitrate, and sulfate into Koocanusa Reservoir

The Koocanusa Reservoir (also called Lake Koocanusa) is a transboundary reservoir that's located in northwestern Montana and southwestern British Columbia, Canada (BC) and encompasses the headwaters of the Kootenai watershed, eventually flowing into the Columbia River. Coal mining has occurred in the Elk River watershed in British Columbia, Canada for more than 100 years. Concentrations of...
Learn More
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