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San Francisco Bay-Delta

The Bay-Delta is a nexus for challenging issues about water, ecosystems, and human use. USGS science helps address key problems and uncertainties.

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Lake Tahoe

An underwater view of periphyton growing on rocks near the shore of Lake Tahoe with a reflection of the rocks on the water surface

Explore the Lake Tahoe Hydro Mapper

New Technologies for Mapping Surface Soil Moisture

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Coastal Dwellers

Read more about sea otter research

Stinson Beach

Flood map from Our Coast, Our Future

Coastal Storm Modeling System (CoSMoS)

Southwest Region

The California-Great Basin includes California, Nevada, and part of Oregon. The Regional Office, headquartered in Sacramento, provides Center oversight and support, facilitates internal and external collaborations, and works to further USGS strategic science directions. Our scientists do a broad array of research and technical assistance throughout the U.S. and across the globe.

News

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New research informs dredging efforts at Columbia River mouth, conserving valuable resource

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Midwinter Dry Spells Amplify Post-Fire Snowpack Decline in California

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Media Alert: The USGS Announces Low-Level Helicopter Flights in Nevada and Oregon

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Publications

Addressing stakeholder science needs for integrated drought science in the Colorado River Basin

Stakeholders need scientific data, analysis, and predictions of how drought the will impact the Colorado River Basin in a format that is continuously updated, intuitive, and easily accessible. The Colorado River Basin Actionable and Strategic Integrated Science and Technology Pilot Project was formed to demonstrate the effectiveness of addressing complex problems through stakeholder involvement an
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Arizona Water Science Center, California Water Science Center, Colorado Water Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Nevada Water Science Center, New Mexico Water Science Center, Southwest Biological Science Center, Utah Water Science Center, Washington Water Science Center, Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center

Approaches for assessing long-term annual yields of highway and urban runoff in selected areas of California with the Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model (SELDM)

The California Department of Transportation, commonly known as CalTrans, and other municipal separate storm sewer system permittees in California as well as other State departments of transportation nationwide need information about potential loads and yields (loads per unit area) of constituents of concern in stormwater runoff and discharges from stormwater best management practices (BMPs). Altho
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Water Resources Mission Area, New England Water Science Center

USGS National Water Quality Monitoring Network

What is the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Monitoring Network?Understanding the water quality of U.S. streams and rivers requires consistent data collection and analysis over decades. The U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) National Water Quality Network (NWQN) was established to facilitate national-scale understanding of surface-water quality conditions through the collection of compar
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Water Resources Mission Area, New Jersey Water Science Center
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Science

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map of Long Beach earthquake

M6.4 March 10, 1933 Long Beach, California Earthquake

The magnitude 6.4 Long Beach, California earthquake, which struck near 5pm local time on March 10, 1933, was a landmark event. It was the largest known earthquake in the Los Angeles region at the time, since the advent of written record-keeping. It occurred at a pivotal point historically, during an active debate about seismic hazard in the area.
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, Earthquake Science Center
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M6.4 March 10, 1933 Long Beach, California Earthquake

The magnitude 6.4 Long Beach, California earthquake, which struck near 5pm local time on March 10, 1933, was a landmark event. It was the largest known earthquake in the Los Angeles region at the time, since the advent of written record-keeping. It occurred at a pivotal point historically, during an active debate about seismic hazard in the area.
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View of beach from roof top, edge of roof in foreground, pier extending from beach out over water in center, park in background.

Remote Sensing Coastal Change

We use remote-sensing technologies—such as aerial photography, satellite imagery, structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetry, and lidar (laser-based surveying)—to measure coastal change along U.S. shorelines.
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
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Remote Sensing Coastal Change

We use remote-sensing technologies—such as aerial photography, satellite imagery, structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetry, and lidar (laser-based surveying)—to measure coastal change along U.S. shorelines.
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Image Collage of Landsat, pollinator, and volcanologist

Actionable Science

The Colorado River Basin Pilot Project is exploring new approaches for the USGS to answer complex earth systems questions identified in partnership with stakeholders, which cannot be answered through a single discipline approach. Science coproduction is a method where scientists, managers, policy makers, and other stakeholders first identify specific decisions to be informed by science, and then...
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Arizona Water Science Center, California Water Science Center, Colorado Water Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Nevada Water Science Center, New Mexico Water Science Center, Southwest Biological Science Center, Utah Water Science Center, Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center
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Actionable Science

The Colorado River Basin Pilot Project is exploring new approaches for the USGS to answer complex earth systems questions identified in partnership with stakeholders, which cannot be answered through a single discipline approach. Science coproduction is a method where scientists, managers, policy makers, and other stakeholders first identify specific decisions to be informed by science, and then...
Learn More
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