USGS Science Collaboration Portal for the Colorado River Basin
Connecting Science to Help Mitigate Drought
Connecting Science to Help Mitigate Drought
Monitoring Vegetation Drought Stress
Drought Early Warning System (DEWS)
Drought Research at the Climate Adaptation Science Center
What is streamflow drought?
Drought
Extreme drought felt by many U.S. communities has far-reaching economic and health impacts on water for people, agriculture, industry, and the nation’s natural resources. Land and water managers use USGS science to better understand the complex interactions that determine the magnitude and impact of drought on water availability and ecosystems.
Integrated Drought Science
Integrated Drought Science
Our drought science plan focuses on data collection and integration, understanding drought processes and impacts, and drought planning and decision support.
Droughts: Things to Know
Droughts: Things to Know
What is a drought? What causes droughts? Why doesn't a drought go away when it rains? Get the answers to these questions and more.
Looking for data?
Looking for data?
Drought-related data catalogs and portals are listed below. If applicable, the links will pre-populate a search for drought on each site. Refer to sidebar for drought Web Tools and Software.
News
Long-term drought assessment: hydrologic, ecological, and social impacts
Long-term drought assessment: hydrologic, ecological, and social impacts
Drought Watch/Warning Declared for 35 Pennsylvania Counties
Drought Watch/Warning Declared for 35 Pennsylvania Counties
NIDIS/NCASC 2024–2025 National Ecological Drought Webinar Series
NIDIS/NCASC 2024–2025 National Ecological Drought Webinar Series
Publications
Climate change and future water availability in the United States
The steady rise in global temperature as a result of human activity is causing changes in Earth’s water cycle. The balance of water stored within and moving between vapor, liquid, and frozen states in the water cycle is shifting, with consequences for water availability that include increases in drought, fire weather, flooding, and heavy precipitation, as well as cryosphere decline and...
U.S. Geological Survey National Groundwater Climate Response Network
What is the U.S. Geological Survey National Groundwater Climate Response Network?The U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) National Water Monitoring Network is a network of networks that includes the Climate Response Network (CRN). The CRN is a network of wells selected to monitor the effects of climate variability, including droughts, on groundwater systems within the United States, Puerto...
Groundwater-storage change in the north Phoenix aquifer, Arizona, 2020–23
The city of Phoenix, Arizona, relies primarily on surface water for municipal water supply. The city also maintains wells to withdraw groundwater, particularly in times of drought and reduced surface-water supply, and to recharge groundwater when excess surface water is available. As of 2023, withdrawals from the aquifer in the northeastern part of the city are a small volume of water...
Science
Building drought early warning systems for fisheries and water management across the U.S.
As droughts become more frequent and severe, freshwater ecosystems and the valuable fisheries they support face increasing challenges. Drought reduces streamflows, raises water temperatures, and stresses fish populations, particularly cold-water species like trout. These impacts can lead to declines in trout populations, threatening biodiversity, ecosystem health, and local economies. To address...
USGS Integrated Drought Science Plan
The USGS National Integrated Drought Science Plan seeks to improve understanding of drought processes and impacts on human and natural systems through coordinated and multidisciplinary data collection, synthesis, analysis, and predictions generated from Mission Areas and a variety of partnerships. The long-term goal is to provide decision support tools and technologies to stakeholders for...
Impacts of changing climate and disturbance regimes on forest ecosystem resilience in the Southern Rocky Mountains
Climate-driven forest disturbances, particularly drought-induced tree mortality and large high-severity fires from increasingly warm and dry conditions, are altering forest ecosystems and the ecosystem services society depends on (e.g., water supplies) in the Southern Rockies and across the Western U.S. We will combine unique, long-term place-based ecological data, diverse methods (e.g., paleo...