Using the nation’s premier water data collection network, USGS regularly assesses current water availability and develops novel methods for monitoring and predicting how changing hydrological conditions will impact communities and ecosystems. The USGS provides the data and information necessary for sound decision-making in a changing climate.
From Snow to Flow: What Changing Snowmelt Means for Water in the Western U.S.
A majority of the water in the western U.S. comes from the snowpack of the high-elevation mountains. In the winter, the mountains store water as snow. With spring and summer temperatures, the snow melts and flows downstream, through the landscape to water users. Streamflow and water availability for the rest of the year depends on the snowpack and snowmelt conditions. In fact, approximately 75% of the water in Colorado River Basin streams come from the mountain snowpacks of the Upper Colorado River Basin.
Because winter snowpack is so important for the water that landscapes and people depend on, scientists at USGS have been measuring it for decades. Today, as part of the Next Generation Water Observing System (NGWOS) program, USGS scientists are using new technologies to measure snowpack and streamflow in Colorado. This work is called the “Snow to Flow” project.
The Snow to Flow project collects data on mountain snowpack conditions using a range of techniques so that scientists can improve predictions of streamflow for the following spring and summer. New snowpack data can improve water-availability estimates for downstream water users.
Regional Water Availability Assessment in the Delaware River Basin
The Delaware River Basin supplies fresh drinking water to over 15 million people and supports agriculture, recreation, and endangered species habitats. Water releases from reservoirs in the upper Delaware River Basin can affect both water quantity and quality in downstream systems. When and how water is released affects downstream conditions like the potential for drought, river temperature, and the location of the salt front, which is where freshwater from the Delaware River mixes with salty water from the Delaware Bay.
USGS scientists are conducting a focused assessment of water availability in the Delaware River Basin. They are evaluating water quantity and quality in both surface and groundwater, determining whether there is enough water for human and ecosystem needs, and understanding how human and natural influences affect the amount of available water. USGS water availability assessments address important water resource questions in ways that support local stakeholders and improve the USGS’s national water availability assessment capacity.
Decision Support Tools for Managing Water in the Red River Basin
The Red River Basin is a vital source of water in the South-Central U.S., supporting ecosystems, drinking water, agriculture, tourism and recreation, and cultural ceremonies. Stretching from the High Plains of New Mexico eastward to the Mississippi River, the Red River Basin encompasses parts of five states – New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana. Further, 74% of the jurisdictional boundaries of the Chickasaw and Choctaw Tribes are located within the basin.
Water resources in the basin have been stressed in recent years due to a multi-year drought and increasing demands for consumptive use by metropolitan areas in Oklahoma and Texas.
The USGS supports research to understand how climate change is impacting water resources in the Red River Basin and develops tools to inform water management in the area.
Engaging with Tribes to Support Drought Planning, Mitigation, and Recovery
The USGS is a leader in providing science that informs policymakers, land managers, and organizations on how droughts affect human and natural communities. Our science integrates a wide range of expertise, monitoring, research, and modeling capabilities to produce useful and actionable information. USGS scientists also engage with local communities to provide science to support drought planning, mitigation, and recovery.
The USGS is bringing together scientists to develop and strengthen relationships with Indigenous communities and Tribal governments. During the coming year, this interdisciplinary team will conduct multiple drought science open houses (September-November 2023) and listening sessions (January/February 2024) in locations across the West.
USGS Delivering Climate Science
To policymakers, resource managers, and the public to help guide better decisions for building sustainable resource stewardship across America’s public lands and beyond.
- Overview
From Snow to Flow: What Changing Snowmelt Means for Water in the Western U.S.
A majority of the water in the western U.S. comes from the snowpack of the high-elevation mountains. In the winter, the mountains store water as snow. With spring and summer temperatures, the snow melts and flows downstream, through the landscape to water users. Streamflow and water availability for the rest of the year depends on the snowpack and snowmelt conditions. In fact, approximately 75% of the water in Colorado River Basin streams come from the mountain snowpacks of the Upper Colorado River Basin.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Because winter snowpack is so important for the water that landscapes and people depend on, scientists at USGS have been measuring it for decades. Today, as part of the Next Generation Water Observing System (NGWOS) program, USGS scientists are using new technologies to measure snowpack and streamflow in Colorado. This work is called the “Snow to Flow” project.
The Snow to Flow project collects data on mountain snowpack conditions using a range of techniques so that scientists can improve predictions of streamflow for the following spring and summer. New snowpack data can improve water-availability estimates for downstream water users.
Regional Water Availability Assessment in the Delaware River Basin
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Water data visualization depicting water science and management in the Delaware River Basin. The Delaware River Basin supplies fresh drinking water to over 15 million people and supports agriculture, recreation, and endangered species habitats. Water releases from reservoirs in the upper Delaware River Basin can affect both water quantity and quality in downstream systems. When and how water is released affects downstream conditions like the potential for drought, river temperature, and the location of the salt front, which is where freshwater from the Delaware River mixes with salty water from the Delaware Bay.
USGS scientists are conducting a focused assessment of water availability in the Delaware River Basin. They are evaluating water quantity and quality in both surface and groundwater, determining whether there is enough water for human and ecosystem needs, and understanding how human and natural influences affect the amount of available water. USGS water availability assessments address important water resource questions in ways that support local stakeholders and improve the USGS’s national water availability assessment capacity.
Decision Support Tools for Managing Water in the Red River BasinThe Red River Basin is a vital source of water in the South-Central U.S., supporting ecosystems, drinking water, agriculture, tourism and recreation, and cultural ceremonies. Stretching from the High Plains of New Mexico eastward to the Mississippi River, the Red River Basin encompasses parts of five states – New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana. Further, 74% of the jurisdictional boundaries of the Chickasaw and Choctaw Tribes are located within the basin.
Water resources in the basin have been stressed in recent years due to a multi-year drought and increasing demands for consumptive use by metropolitan areas in Oklahoma and Texas.
The USGS supports research to understand how climate change is impacting water resources in the Red River Basin and develops tools to inform water management in the area.
Engaging with Tribes to Support Drought Planning, Mitigation, and Recovery
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.USGS Restoration Assessment and Monitoring Program for the Southwest (RAMPS) is helping to build capacity in ecosystem restoration on the Navajo Nation with a series of projects in collaboration with Navajo Nation Department of Natural Hertiage, Dine Native Plant Program, and the Native-led non-profit Tolani Lake Enterprises. For more information visit: www.usgs.gov/sbsc/ramps The USGS is a leader in providing science that informs policymakers, land managers, and organizations on how droughts affect human and natural communities. Our science integrates a wide range of expertise, monitoring, research, and modeling capabilities to produce useful and actionable information. USGS scientists also engage with local communities to provide science to support drought planning, mitigation, and recovery.
The USGS is bringing together scientists to develop and strengthen relationships with Indigenous communities and Tribal governments. During the coming year, this interdisciplinary team will conduct multiple drought science open houses (September-November 2023) and listening sessions (January/February 2024) in locations across the West.
USGS Delivering Climate ScienceTo policymakers, resource managers, and the public to help guide better decisions for building sustainable resource stewardship across America’s public lands and beyond.