Current Research
Idaho's Water Quality
Idaho National Laboratory Project Office
Idaho Water Science Center
Water is critical to Idaho's quality of life and economic vitality. We provide reliable, unbiased hydrologic data and scientific studies to help our local, state, tribal, and federal partners effectively manage Idaho's water resources.
Idaho Water Dashboard
Idaho Water Dashboard
Explore real-time streamflow, groundwater, water-quality, and weather conditions and access data via our interactive map.
News
Idaho Hydrologic Update, March-April 2025
Idaho Hydrologic Update, March-April 2025
New data products now available in StreamStats
New data products now available in StreamStats
Idaho Hydrologic Update, January-February 2025
Idaho Hydrologic Update, January-February 2025
Publications
Groundwater source water assessment area delineation of public supply wells in the Treasure Valley, western Idaho Groundwater source water assessment area delineation of public supply wells in the Treasure Valley, western Idaho
The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (IDEQ) is responsible for assessing the source water for public water supply systems including the delineation of source water assessment areas for wells, which are defined as the subsurface areas contributing water to a well during a period of time. Part of the IDEQ assessment plan is to update source water assessments over time. The U.S...
Spatial and temporal trends of mercury in fish from Duck Valley Reservation Reservoirs, southwestern Idaho and northern Nevada, 2007–24 Spatial and temporal trends of mercury in fish from Duck Valley Reservation Reservoirs, southwestern Idaho and northern Nevada, 2007–24
The Shoshone-Paiute (Sho-Pai) Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation, Nevada, manage reservoirs that support commercial and recreational activities, including robust Oncorhynchus mykiss (rainbow trout) fisheries that attract anglers year-round. Reservoirs are common environments for methylation and bioaccumulation of mercury, which is a potent neurotoxin when elevated levels are consumed...
Science
INLPO Software
Our science staff has developed a suite of software products designed to enhance research and data analysis capabilities. Each product plays a crucial role in facilitating access to data and analyses relevant to groundwater and surface water monitoring in the region.
Mercury Cycling in the Hells Canyon Complex
The Hells Canyon Complex (HCC) is the largest privately owned hydroelectric power complex in the United States. Upstream are millions of acres of irrigated agricultural lands and Idaho’s largest metropolitan area clustered around the state capital Boise. Downstream lie confluences with the Salmon and Clearwater Rivers, critical habitat for threatened bull trout and fall chinook salmon. Elevated...
Real-Time Pier Scour Monitoring and Evaluation
The most common cause of bridge failure is scour, when high-velocity streamflow scours streambed material from around bridge piers and abutments. As of 2017, the National Bridge Inventory listed 265 of Idaho's nearly 4,500 bridges (about 6 percent) as "scour critical." When rivers rise quickly, bridge inspectors have little or no time to mobilize and monitor bridges at risk of scour. Real-time...