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Tap water study detects PFAS 'forever chemicals' across the US

USGS estimates at least 45% of tap water could have one or more PFAS

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Water conditions change rapidly.

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What is streamflow drought?

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The new Water Cycle Diagram is now available!

Featuring improved scientific accuracy, design aesthetics, and usability in educational settings

Check out the new diagram

Looking for current water conditions?

The National Water Dashboard is an interactive, mobile-friendly tool that provides real-time water, weather, and flood information all in one place

Explore the NWD

We're One USGS Water

Together with Science Centers and Regions across the Nation

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Water Resources Mission Area

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

Current streamflow conditions map

Surface-water, groundwater, water-quality, and water-use data collected at approximately 1.9 million sites across all 50 states.

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Message from the Associate Director for Water

Photo of Don Cline

Learn more about the WMA from Dr. Don Cline, the Associate Director for Water Resources.

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Popular Water Data and Tools

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News

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Make Your Benchmark: Join the Mendenhall Research Fellowship Program

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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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The USGS Invests $1.5M in Local Partnerships to Improve Urban Waterways

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Publications

Long-term water-quality constituent trends in the Little Arkansas River, south-central Kansas, 1995–2021

The Equus Beds aquifer and Cheney Reservoir are primary sources for the city of Wichita’s current (2023) water supply. The Equus Beds aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) project was developed by the city of Wichita in the early 1990s to meet future water demands using the Little Arkansas River as an artificial aquifer recharge water source during above-base-flow conditions. Little Arkansas River wa
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Mandy L. Stone, Brian J. Klager
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Water Resources Mission Area, Kansas Water Science Center

Salinity trends in a groundwater system supplemented by 50 years of imported Colorado River water

The Indio subbasin of the Coachella Valley is a desert area of southern California where a growing population depends primarily on groundwater for drinking and agricultural uses. The aquifer system has been supplemented with Colorado River water through managed recharge and widespread irrigation since the mid-20th century. We use a combination of geochemical modeling and trend analysis to identify
Authors
Jennifer S. Harkness, Patrick Michael McCarthy, Bryant Jurgens, Zeno Levy
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Water Resources Mission Area, California Water Science Center

Implications of water, sediment, and nutrient budgets for the restoration of a shallow, turbid lake in semiarid southeastern Oregon

Malheur Lake is the largest lake in the endorheic Harney Basin in southeastern Oregon. Since the 1990s, Malheur Lake—which averages depths of about 1 meter—has been in a degraded, turbid state lacking submergent and emergent vegetation. The goals of this study were to identify the major sources of sediment and nutrients to Malheur Lake to determine the importance of managing nutrients for lake res
Authors
Cassandra D. Smith, Tamara M. Wood
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Water Resources Mission Area, Oregon Water Science Center
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Science

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Image Collage of Landsat, pollinator, and volcanologist

Diseases of Fish and Wildlife

The coronavirus pandemic, Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in white-tailed deer, and white-nose syndrome in bats have spawned great interest in diseases of native fish and wildlife. Many aspects of widely known diseases of wild (as opposed to domestic) animal populations are poorly understood, including their ecology, incidence, distribution, and methods for reducing effects of disease on culturally...
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Core Science Systems Mission Area, Ecosystems Mission Area, Energy and Minerals Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Cooperative Research Units
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Diseases of Fish and Wildlife

The coronavirus pandemic, Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in white-tailed deer, and white-nose syndrome in bats have spawned great interest in diseases of native fish and wildlife. Many aspects of widely known diseases of wild (as opposed to domestic) animal populations are poorly understood, including their ecology, incidence, distribution, and methods for reducing effects of disease on culturally...
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tops of bottles with blue water inside and white caps on top

Withdrawals for Bottled Water

USGS is compiling data on locations and volumes of water withdrawals for bottled water production and learning how, when, and where bottled water withdrawals result in changes to groundwater levels, spring flows, and water quality.
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Water Resources Mission Area, Water Availability and Use Science Program
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Withdrawals for Bottled Water

USGS is compiling data on locations and volumes of water withdrawals for bottled water production and learning how, when, and where bottled water withdrawals result in changes to groundwater levels, spring flows, and water quality.
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gage house next to body of water lined with fall colored trees

Regional Water Availability Assessment: Delaware River Basin

Regional Water Availability Assessments are scientific assessments of water availability in different hydrologic regions across the Nation. In the Delaware River Basin, the USGS will conduct a focused assessment of increasing freshwater salinity and an integrated and comprehensive assessment of multiple water quantity, quality and use factors.
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Water Resources Mission Area
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Regional Water Availability Assessment: Delaware River Basin

Regional Water Availability Assessments are scientific assessments of water availability in different hydrologic regions across the Nation. In the Delaware River Basin, the USGS will conduct a focused assessment of increasing freshwater salinity and an integrated and comprehensive assessment of multiple water quantity, quality and use factors.
Learn More
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