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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.

News

The U.S. is producing more food - without increasing nutrient pollution

The U.S. is producing more food - without increasing nutrient pollution

Media Alert: Low-level flights to image geology and aquifers over parts of New Mexico and Texas

Media Alert: Low-level flights to image geology and aquifers over parts of New Mexico and Texas

Sediment contaminants in Puget Sound: Implications for ecosystem health and remediation

Sediment contaminants in Puget Sound: Implications for ecosystem health and remediation

Publications

Compilation of a nationwide river image dataset for identifying river channels and river rapids via deep learning Compilation of a nationwide river image dataset for identifying river channels and river rapids via deep learning

Remote sensing enables large-scale, image-based assessments of river dynamics, offering new opportunities for hydrological monitoring. We present a publicly available dataset consisting of 281,024 satellite and aerial images of U.S. rivers, constructed using an Application Programming Interface (API) and the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Hydrography Dataset. The dataset includes...
Authors
Nicholas Brimhall, Kelvyn K. Bladen, Tom Kerby, Carl J. Legleiter, Cameron Swapp, Hannah Fluckiger, Julie E Bahr, Makenna Roberts, Kaden Hart, Christina L. Stegman, Brennan Bean, Kevin Moon

Development and field testing of a UAS-based-software-defined radar for measuring freshwater bathymetry Development and field testing of a UAS-based-software-defined radar for measuring freshwater bathymetry

We provide an overview of an uncrewed aircraft system (UAS)-based software-defined radar (SDRadar) system for high-resolution geophysical observations. The radar transceiver is implemented on a Radio Frequency System-on-Chip (RFSoC) platform, along with an ultra-wideband Vivaldi antenna that has a starting operating frequency of 150 MHz, enabling the system to be used across different...
Authors
Sepehr Eskandari, Asem Melebari, Paul J. Kinzel, Robert Russell Lotspeich, Jack R. Eggleston, Mahta Moghaddam

Natural source zone depletion of crude oil in the subsurface: Processes controlling mass losses of individual compounds Natural source zone depletion of crude oil in the subsurface: Processes controlling mass losses of individual compounds

At many petroleum hydrocarbon spill sites, residual spilled product forms a long-term source of groundwater contamination. The phrase source zone natural depletion is used to refer to the mass loss rates. Overall mass lost under environmental conditions was analyzed using conservative biomarker concentrations for a 1979 oil spill in northern Minnesota, USA. After 40–41 years, an average...
Authors
Barbara Bekins, William Herkelrath

Science

Alaska Science Center Weekly Findings

Alaska Science Center Weekly Findings

Recent findings by USGS Alaska Science Center staff and their collaborators.
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The Rusting of Arctic Rivers: Freshwater Ecosystems Respond to Rapidly Uptaking Metals

The water quality of streams and rivers in the Arctic is sensitive to rapid climate change and altered disturbance regimes.
The Rusting of Arctic Rivers: Freshwater Ecosystems Respond to Rapidly Uptaking Metals

The Rusting of Arctic Rivers: Freshwater Ecosystems Respond to Rapidly Uptaking Metals

The water quality of streams and rivers in the Arctic is sensitive to rapid climate change and altered disturbance regimes.
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Where land meets sea: USGS science for resilient coastal habitats

USGS coastal science plays a critical role in supporting the effective, science-based management of coastal ecosystems, where the biodiversity of land and sea meet. It provides managers with the information they need to make sound decisions. Through cutting-edge research, predictive modeling, and decision-support tools, USGS empowers resource managers to make informed, science-based choices. From...
Where land meets sea: USGS science for resilient coastal habitats

Where land meets sea: USGS science for resilient coastal habitats

USGS coastal science plays a critical role in supporting the effective, science-based management of coastal ecosystems, where the biodiversity of land and sea meet. It provides managers with the information they need to make sound decisions. Through cutting-edge research, predictive modeling, and decision-support tools, USGS empowers resource managers to make informed, science-based choices. From...
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