Research by the USGS National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project on water quality of rivers and streams covers a broad range of topics, from nonpoint pollution issues to vulnerability of aquatic ecosystems. Dive in and find out more about current water-quality conditions, how and where water quality is changing, and the latest information on pesticides, nutrients, and other contaminants.
Featured: Predicting Levels of Cyanotoxins From Real-Time Measurements
A new study successfully predicts when mixtures of the toxins produced by these blooms in Kabetogama Lake, Voyageurs National Park, will exceed drinking-water guidelines.
Featured: Pesticide Transformation Products in Small U.S. Streams
Pesticide transformation products are ubiquitous in small U.S. streams, reports a new study by the U.S. Geological Survey, and could be a missing piece to the toxicity puzzle for aquatic life in headwater streams.
The Nation's rivers and streams are a priceless resource—they provide drinking water for a growing population, irrigation for crops, habitat for aquatic life, and countless recreational opportunities.
NAWQA research on surface-water quality is focusing on three areas:
-
current conditions and trends in water quality in the Nation’s rivers and streams;
-
developing models and interactive mappers that estimate the amount of a contaminant transported from inland watersheds to larger water bodies (SPAtially Referenced Regression On Watershed attributes, or SPARROW); and
-
characterizing water quality and ecology in hundreds of small streams across the United States (Regional Stream Quality Assessments; RSQA).
Explore NAWQA science on topics related to water quality in streams and rivers
Relations between land use and surface-water quality
Urban Land Use and Water Quality
Contaminants in surface water
Emerging contaminants (pharmaceuticals, personal-care products, and more)
Sediment-associated contaminants (metals, pesticides, PAHs, and more)
Coal-Tar-Based Pavement Sealcoat, PAHs, and Environmental Health
Relations to aquatic life
NWQP Research on Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)
Drinking water issues
Drinking Water and Source Water Research
Chloride, Salinity, and Dissolved Solids
Water-Quality Benchmarks for Contaminants
Trends in water quality
Water-Quality Trends from Lake Sediment Cores
How do we do it?
Access USGS publications and manuals on National Water-Quality Project sampling methods.
Looking for information on groundwater quality as well?
Explore these links:
Learn about topics and projects related to surface-water quality.
SPARROW modeling: Estimating nutrient, sediment, and dissolved solids transport
NWQP Research on Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)
Water Quality in the Nation’s Streams and Rivers – Current Conditions and Long-Term Trends
Pesticides and Water Quality
Streamflow Alteration
Water-Quality Benchmarks for Contaminants
Regional Stream Quality Assessment (RSQA)
Water-Quality Trends
Sediment-Associated Contaminants
Stream Ecology
Isotopic tracers in fish in Northeast provide clue to mercury sources
Isotopes of mercury in fish can indicate the source of that mercury, reports a new study from the USGS Regional Stream Quality Assessment.
- Overview
Research by the USGS National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project on water quality of rivers and streams covers a broad range of topics, from nonpoint pollution issues to vulnerability of aquatic ecosystems. Dive in and find out more about current water-quality conditions, how and where water quality is changing, and the latest information on pesticides, nutrients, and other contaminants.
Featured: Predicting Levels of Cyanotoxins From Real-Time Measurements
A new study successfully predicts when mixtures of the toxins produced by these blooms in Kabetogama Lake, Voyageurs National Park, will exceed drinking-water guidelines.
Featured: Pesticide Transformation Products in Small U.S. Streams
Pesticide transformation products are ubiquitous in small U.S. streams, reports a new study by the U.S. Geological Survey, and could be a missing piece to the toxicity puzzle for aquatic life in headwater streams.
The Nation's rivers and streams are a priceless resource—they provide drinking water for a growing population, irrigation for crops, habitat for aquatic life, and countless recreational opportunities.
NAWQA research on surface-water quality is focusing on three areas:
-
current conditions and trends in water quality in the Nation’s rivers and streams;
-
developing models and interactive mappers that estimate the amount of a contaminant transported from inland watersheds to larger water bodies (SPAtially Referenced Regression On Watershed attributes, or SPARROW); and
-
characterizing water quality and ecology in hundreds of small streams across the United States (Regional Stream Quality Assessments; RSQA).
Explore NAWQA science on topics related to water quality in streams and rivers
Relations between land use and surface-water quality
Urban Land Use and Water Quality
Contaminants in surface water
Emerging contaminants (pharmaceuticals, personal-care products, and more)
Sediment-associated contaminants (metals, pesticides, PAHs, and more)
Coal-Tar-Based Pavement Sealcoat, PAHs, and Environmental Health
Relations to aquatic life
NWQP Research on Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)
Drinking water issues
Drinking Water and Source Water Research
Chloride, Salinity, and Dissolved Solids
Water-Quality Benchmarks for Contaminants
Trends in water quality
Water-Quality Trends from Lake Sediment Cores
How do we do it?
Access USGS publications and manuals on National Water-Quality Project sampling methods.
Looking for information on groundwater quality as well?
Explore these links:
-
- Science
Learn about topics and projects related to surface-water quality.
SPARROW modeling: Estimating nutrient, sediment, and dissolved solids transport
SPARROW (SPAtially Referenced Regression On Watershed attributes) models estimate the amount of a contaminant transported from inland watersheds to larger water bodies by linking monitoring data with information on watershed characteristics and contaminant sources. Interactive, online SPARROW mapping tools allow for easy access to explore relations between human activities, natural processes, and...NWQP Research on Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are caused by a complex set of physical, chemical, biological, hydrological, and meteorological conditions. Many unanswered questions remain about occurrence, environmental triggers for toxicity, and the ability to predict the timing, duration, and toxicity of HABs.Water Quality in the Nation’s Streams and Rivers – Current Conditions and Long-Term Trends
The Nation's rivers and streams are a priceless resource, but pollution from urban and agricultural areas pose a threat to our water quality. To understand the value of water quality, and to more effectively manage and protect the Nation's water resources, it's critical that we know the current status of water-quality conditions, and how and why those conditions have been changing over time.Pesticides and Water Quality
Pesticides are chemicals designed to kill pests, including insects (insecticides), weeds (herbicides), and fungi (fungicides). The USGS assesses the occurrence and behavior of pesticides in streams, lakes, and groundwater and the potential for pesticides to contaminate our drinking-water supplies or harm aquatic ecosystems.Streamflow Alteration
Humans, just like aquatic organisms, need water. Flood control, urban infrastructure, irrigation of agriculture, and myriad other ways we manage water affect the natural flow of streams and rivers. How do the ways we manage land and water affect the natural patterns of streamflow that ecosystems depend on?Water-Quality Benchmarks for Contaminants
How does the water quality measure up? It all depends on what the water will be used for and what contaminants are of interest. Water-quality benchmarks are designed to protect drinking water, recreation, aquatic life, and wildlife. Here you’ll find links to some of the most widely used sets of water, sediment, and fish tissue benchmarks and general guidance about their interpretation.Regional Stream Quality Assessment (RSQA)
The goals of the Regional Stream Quality Assessment (RSQA) are to characterize multiple water-quality factors that are stressors to aquatic life (contaminants, nutrients, sediment, and streamflow alteration) and to develop a better understanding of the relation of these stressors to ecological conditions in streams throughout the region.Water-Quality Trends
Is water quality getting better or worse? Answering this deceptively simple question has been a fundamental objective of the USGS National Water-Quality Assessment Project’s research. Learn about trends in contaminants in the nation’s streams and rivers, trends in contaminants that collect in the bed sediment of streams and lakes, and changes in the quality of the nation’s groundwater.Sediment-Associated Contaminants
Stream, river, and lake bed sediment are reservoirs for many contaminants. These contaminants include some “legacy” contaminants, like DDT, PCBs, and chlordane, and chemicals currently in use, like the insecticide bifenthrin and many flame retardants. Learn about techniques used to study sediment-associated contaminants and their importance to aquatic biota.Stream Ecology
Who lives in your stream? Rivers and streams, even small ones, are teeming with a vast number of species, including fish, aquatic invertebrates, and algae. Stream ecology is the study of those aquatic species, the way they interrelate, and their interactions with all aspects of these flowing water systems. - Data
- Publications
- Software
- News
Isotopic tracers in fish in Northeast provide clue to mercury sources
Isotopes of mercury in fish can indicate the source of that mercury, reports a new study from the USGS Regional Stream Quality Assessment.