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
USGS Crews Measure Major Flooding in Lower Michigan
U.S. Geological Survey field crews are measuring record flooding on the Tittabawassee River in Midland, Michigan, following a heavy rainfall event.
A comprehensive assessment of fluoride in groundwater
Fluoride occurs commonly in groundwater used for drinking, but typically at concentrations less than the drinking-water standard for human health, reports a new study by the U.S. Geological Survey. In fact, fluoride concentrations in most drinking-water wells sampled were below the optimal concentration recommended to prevent tooth...
USGS Responds to Spring Flooding
U.S. Geological Survey field crews are measuring flooding across the country as spring weather is in full swing. Warming temperatures, increased precipitation and snowmelt have caused moderate to major flooding in the upper Midwest, East Coast, Central Plains and the Southeast portions of the country.
Publications
Precipitation runoff modeling system (PRMS) as part of an integrated hydrologic model for the Osage Nation, northeastern Oklahoma, 1915–2014
Executive SummaryThe Osage Nation lacks a comprehensive tribal water plan to describe the quality and quantity of water resources in the Osage Nation, a 2,304-square-mile (mi2) area of rolling pastures, tallgrass prairie, and mixed woodlands in northeastern Oklahoma. A tribal water plan can be used to help manage the sustainable development of...
Hevesi, Joseph A.; Hanson, Randall T.; Masoner, Jason R.
Quantifying trends in arsenic, nitrate, and dissolved solids from selected wells in Utah
Groundwater makes up a primary portion of the water supply in many parts of Utah, with annual withdrawals estimated at more than 1,000,000 acre-feet per year. Increases to groundwater withdrawal and land use may negatively impact water availability. Ensuring availability of clean water requires understanding how water quality has changed over time...
Miller, Olivia L.
Representing the function and sensitivity of coastal interfaces in Earth system models
Along coastal interfaces, components of the Earth system interact to regulate ecosystem functions and Earth’s climate. Between the land and ocean, diverse coastal ecosystem types transform, store, and transport material. A dynamic two-way exchange of energy and matter is driven by hydrological and marine processes such as river and groundwater...
Ward, Nicholas; Megonigal, J. Patrick; Bond-Lamberty, Ben; Bailey, Vanessa; Butman, David; Canuel, Elizabeth; Diefenderfer, Heida; Ganju, Neil Kamal; Goni, Miguel; Graham, Emily B.; Hopkinson, Charles; Khangaonkar, Tarang; Langley, Adam; McDowell, Nate; Myers-Pigg, Allison; Neumann, Rebecca; Osburn, Christopher; Price, Rene; Rowland, Joel; Sengupta, Aditi; Simard, Marc; Thornton, Peter E.; Tzortziou, Maria; Vargas, Rodrigo; Weisenhorn, Pamela; Windham-Myers, Lisamarie