WSS and WMA Drippy

A 100-year flood happened last year so it won't happen for another 99 years, right? Not exactly. Misinterpretation of terminology often leads to confusion about flood recurrence intervals. Read on to learn more.

Livestock water use is water associated with livestock watering, feedlots, dairy operations, and other on-farm needs.

It is likely the water you use at home is brought to you by a public water-supply system. These are agencies, such as your local county government, that find and get the water that is delivered to not only your home, but to many businesses and industries. Most of the population of the United States gets their water this way.

As the label in the grocery store says, " Farm Raised Tilapia Fillets" are for sale! Yes, aquaculture and fish farming are big businesses nowadays, and with the rising population of the world, more and more seafood will be grown in the future in aquatic farms.

The industries that produce metals, wood and paper products, chemicals, gasoline and oils, and those invaluable grabber utensils you use to get your ring (which also needed water to manufacture) out of the garbage disposal are major users of water.

Domestic water use is water used for indoor and outdoor household purposes— all the things you do at home: drinking, preparing food, bathing, washing clothes and dishes, brushing your teeth, watering the garden, and even washing the dog. At the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), domestic water use refers to the amount of water that is "self-supplied", or water withdrawn directly by users, such as from...

Groundwater will normally look clear and clean because the ground naturally filters out particulate matter. But did you know that natural and human-induced chemicals can be found in groundwater even if appears to be clean? Below is a list of some contaminants that can occur in groundwater.

Water and electricity don't mix, right? Well actually, pure water is an excellent insulator and does not conduct electricity. The thing is, you won't find any pure water in nature, so don't mix electricity and water. Our Water Science School page will give you all the details.

Collecting samples of water isn't the only way to test water quality. The USGS actually collects fish to see if and how they were affected by local pollution and chemicals in the water, such as pesticides. Read on to find out more.

Like all other industries, mining corporations need water to make bare rock give up its valuable minerals.

Lucky for us all, our drinking water is almost always clear (very low turbidity). Other water, such as the creek behind your house after a rainstorm, is likely to be highly turbid—brown with floating sediment. Turbidity is the clarity of water and it is an important factor in water quality.

Wells are extremely important to all societies. In many places wells provide a reliable and ample supply of water for home uses, irrigation, and industries. Where surface water is scarce, such as in deserts, people couldn't survive and thrive without groundwater, and people use wells to get at underground water.