Mission Areas
Water Resources
Water information is fundamental to national and local economic well-being, protection of life and property, and effective management of the Nation’s water resources. The USGS works with partners to monitor, assess, conduct targeted research, and deliver information on a wide range of water resources and conditions including streamflow, groundwater, water quality, and water use and availability.
USGS Water Data for the Nation
Surface-water, groundwater, water-quality, and water-use data collected at approximately 1.9 million sites across all 50 states.
Get dataMessage from the Associate Director for Water
Learn more about the WMA from Dr. Don Cline, the Associate Director for Water Resources.
ReadPopular Water Data and Tools
Explore our science by the topical areas that drive the research and projects conducted by our Programs.
USGS Water Data for the Nation
National Groundwater Monitoring Network Data Portal
More data and toolsNews
The USGS is Ready to Respond During the 2021 Atlantic Hurricane Season
The 2021 Atlantic Hurricane Season starts June 1 and runs through November 30, and the U.S. Geological Survey is prepared to provide science that can help guide efforts to protect lives and property if a major storm makes landfall this season.
President Biden’s Fiscal Year 2022 Budget Makes Significant Investments in USGS Initiatives
Budget proposal promotes science to address climate change, support economic growth, and inform balanced decisions regarding resources
Potential toxicity of pesticides to aquatic life in U.S. rivers is widespread
A new USGS study of pesticides in U.S. rivers and streams reports that, on average, 17 pesticides were detected at least once at the 74 river and stream sites sampled 12 to 24 times per year during 2013–2017. Herbicides were detected much more frequently than insecticides and fungicides.
Publications
Tracking the source of metals to the San Juan River
IntroductionThe San Juan River is a major water source for communities in the Four Corners Region of the United States (Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah) and is a vital source of water for the Navajo Nation. The Navajo Nation Environmental Protection Agency (NNEPA) periodically samples surface water on the Navajo Nation and has found that some...
Blake, Johanna M.; Chavarria, Shaleene B.; Matherne, Anne-Marie
Use of dissolved oxygen monitoring to evaluate phosphorus loading in Connecticut streams, 2015–18
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP) has developed an interim phosphorus reduction strategy to establish water-quality-based phosphorus limits in nontidal freshwaters for industrial and municipal water pollution control facilities. A recommendation in the strategy included the addition of diurnal dissolved...
Izbicki, Brittney; Morrison, Jonathan
Sediment concentrations and loads upstream from and through John Redmond Reservoir, east-central Kansas, 2010–19
Streambank erosion and reservoir sedimentation are primary concerns of resource managers in Kansas and throughout many regions of the United States and negatively affect flood control, water supply, and recreation. The Cottonwood and upper Neosho Rivers drain into John Redmond Reservoir, and since reservoir completion in 1964, there has been...
Kramer, Ariele R.; Peterman-Phipps, Cara L.; Mahoney, Matthew D.; Lukasz, Bradley S.