Advanced Capabilities and Research
Advanced Capabilities and Research
USGS Rapid Deployment Gages (RDGs)
Integration of sUAS into Hydrogeophysical Studies
Binational SPARROW nutrient modeling
A joint USGS and Canadian effort to model phosphorus and nitrogen transport
A joint USGS and Canadian effort to model phosphorus and nitrogen transport
Our most advanced science supporting our mission to provide water-resource monitoring, assessment, modeling, and research to provide information and tools that managers and policymakers can use.
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Regional Water Availability Assessments are scientific assessments of water availability in different hydrologic regions across the Nation. In the Upper Colorado River Basin, the USGS will conduct a focused assessment of how snowpack and snowmelt influence hydrology and water quality, and an integrated and comprehensive assessment of multiple water quantity, quality and use factors.
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.
Computational Tools for Water Data Users
Users access USGS water data in various ways, including using automated scripts and functions. Computational tools are open-source software and code resources that make USGS water data easily discoverable, accessible and usable. These tools perform tasks such as retrieving data, calculating statistics, and creating visualizations.
Proxies Project
The Proxies Project is a series of studies to improve our understanding of water contaminants and water quality hazards. These studies develop models and technical approaches for estimating concentrations and assessing risk associated with: - harmful algal blooms (HABs) - per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) - 12 elements of concern (EoC)
Understanding Water Availability
The United States faces growing challenges to its water supply, and we need to know where there is not enough water, where we have more than we need, and the quality of the water. The USGS is charged with understanding and reporting on water availability including influences on water supply (how much water and of what quality) and water demand (how much water do humans and ecosystems need).
Integrated Water Availability Assessments
The USGS Water Resources Mission Area is assessing how much water is available for human and ecological needs in the United States and identifying where and when the Nation may have challenges meeting its demand for water.
Assessing the impacts of mining on the Transboundary Koocanusa Reservoir
Lead Researcher: Travis Schmidt Project Manager: Melissa Schaar Water-Quality Field Lead: Chad Reese
Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility (HIF) Construction
The U.S. Geological Survey, in partnership with the University of Alabama, is constructing a new Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility, a science and engineering facility that will support our water observing networks and research.
MODFLOW and Related Programs
MODFLOW is the USGS's modular hydrologic model. MODFLOW is considered an international standard for simulating and predicting groundwater conditions and groundwater/surface-water interactions. MODFLOW 6 is presently the core MODFLOW version distributed by the USGS. The previous core version, MODFLOW-2005, is actively maintained and supported as well.
Groundwater-Level Response to Earthquakes
Did you know that earthquakes can cause changes in groundwater levels? Very large earthquakes can even cause water-level fluctuations in some wells thousands of miles away, depending on the local geological conditions around the well.
Karst Aquifers
Karst terrain is created from the dissolution of soluble rocks, principally limestone and dolomite. Karst areas are characterized by distinctive landforms (like springs, caves, sinkholes) and a unique hydrogeology that results in aquifers that are highly productive but extremely vulnerable to contamination.
Integrated Water Science (IWS) Basins
The U.S. Geological Survey is integrating its water science programs to better address the Nation’s greatest water resource challenges. At the heart of this effort are plans to intensively study at least 10 Integrated Water Science (IWS) basins — medium-sized watersheds (10,000-20,000 square miles) and underlying aquifers — over the next decade. The IWS basins will represent a wide range of...