Unified Interior Regions
Maryland
Maryland's water supply comes from streams, rivers, groundwater and reservoirs. Many of these systems flow to the Chesapeake Bay, the Nation's largest estuary. This complex ecosystem has been degraded due to the impact of human-population increase. The MD-DC-DE Water Science Center studies the impacts this has on water quality, habitats and biological communities.
Maryland - Delaware - Washington D.C. Water Science Center
5522 Research Park Drive
Catonsville, MD 21228
Phone: 443-498-5500
Fax: 442-498-5510
Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
12100 Beech Forest Road
Laurel, MD 20708-4039
Phone: 301-497-5000
Patuxent ResearchStates L2 Landing Page Tabs
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Science Summary—Vegetation traps nutrients and sediment in the flood plain of an urban stream in the Chesapeake Bay watershed
Urbanization in the Chesapeake Bay watershed has increased stream discharge, the frequency of flood-plain inundation, and the transport of nutrients (such as nitrogen and phosphorus) and sediment to streams and, ultimately, to the bay. Understanding the effects of the abundance, composition, and location of vegetation on flood-plain functions such as nutrient cycling and sediment trapping can...
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Science Summary—New digital map documents surficial-aquifer thickness in the Delmarva Peninsula, Maryland and Delaware: Helping to understand the role of groundwater in delivering nitrogen to Chesapeake Bay
Nitrate, the major source of nitrogen in streams of the Eastern Shore of Chesapeake Bay and the wider Delmarva Peninsula, is transported primarily in groundwater through the unconfined surficial aquifer. Understanding the subsurface processes that affect nitrate transport in this area has been hampered by a lack of regional information on the thickness of this aquifer.
Hear a Presentation of nutrient and sediment trends in the Bay watershed
The goal of the IAN seminar series is to provide concise, thought-provoking ideas relating to Chesapeake Bay science and management. Short presentations (15 minutes maximum length) are immediately followed by a lunchtime discussion of the topics raised by the presenter. The discussion is summarized and is posted along with a pdf version of the seminar slides. The seminars are captured on video...
Long-Term Response Monitoring of Suspended-Sediment Transport Characteristics on the Patapsco River near Ellicott City, Maryland, in Response to the Removal of Simkins Dam, 2010-present
For over 100 years, the Patapsco River has been impacted by the presence of several dams that were designed and built at the beginning of the 20th century. The objective of the project is to monitor suspended-sediment transport resulting from the removal of Simkins Dam on the lower Patapsco River in November 2010. The role of USGS in the project includes operation and maintenance of 3 stream...
Delaware Agricultural Shallow Groundwater Monitoring Network
Studies in the Delmarva Peninsula have demonstrated that groundwater in shallow unconfined aquifers near agricultural lands is susceptible to contamination from chemicals applied at the land surface.
Observed concentrations of nitrate in shallow groundwater commonly exceed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Maximum Contaminant Level of 10 mg/L on the peninsula. Groundwater...
Enhanced hydrologic and geomorphic monitoring in Ten Mile Creek, Montgomery County, Maryland
Ten Mile Creek is a small, predominantly agricultural and forested watershed located to the west of Clarksburg, Maryland, in an area that has experienced land-use change and urban development over the past decade. Additional development extending into the Ten Mile Creek watershed is planned over the next several years.
This planned development in the Ten Mile Creek watershed presents an...
Bioremediation in Wetland Areas, Standard Chlorine of Delaware Inc. Superfund Site, Delaware City, Delaware
Major releases of chlorinated benzenes and benzene are known to have occurred at the Standard Chlorine of Delaware Inc. Superfund Site from 1966-2002, resulting in contamination of the groundwater underlying the site and the wetlands surrounding Red Lion Creek.
Although installation of a groundwater interception and treatment system has been completed around the main facility, wetland...
Coastal Monitoring Tide Gage Sites in Maryland, Delaware, and Washington, D.C.
Vital coastal storm-tide information needed to help guide storm response efforts following major storms affecting Maryland will be more accessible than ever due to a new monitoring network the U.S. Geological Survey is currently building.
A team from the USGS MD-DE-DC Water Science Center is surveying 63 locations in the state, determining their elevations and installing receiving...
Water Use
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) estimates water use by state, source of water, and category of use every 5 years. The withdrawals for Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia are available in the tables below.
In 2010, 1,472 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) of freshwater were withdrawn from surface water and groundwater sources in Maryland, 300 Mgal/d in Delaware, and 0.10...
Monitoring Water-Quality Response of Conservation Practices in the Bucks Branch Watershed, Sussex County, Delaware
The Bucks Branch sub watershed in the Nanticoke River basin has been identified as having one of the highest concentrations of nitrate in surface water of all sites sampled in Delaware.
Changes in water quality related to changes in agricultural conservation practices will be seen first in shallow groundwater as groundwater is the major source of nitrate in surface water.
Very...
Hydrogeology and Groundwater Quality of the Anacostia River Watershed
The Anacostia River has been subjected to dredging, filling, contamination, and other human influences for over 200 years. The result of these activities is that the river has been seriously degraded from its natural state. Many groups have been working to reduce the effects of environmental degradation on the water quality and living resources of the Anacostia River, primarily by focusing on...
MD-DE-DC WSC Groundwater Studies Team
The U.S. Geological Survey provides unbiased, timely, and relevant information, studies, and data about groundwater resources of the Nation. The USGS monitors groundwater levels in thousands of wells across the U.S. Hundreds of these wells are located in Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia. The MD-DE-DC Water Science Center logs data on approximately 370 groundwater wells...
Hong Jiang MD-DE-DC 2019 Seminar
Hong Jiang MD-DE-DC 2019 Seminar
Jeff Raffensperger MD-DE-DC 2020 Seminar
Jeff Raffensperger MD-DE-DC 2020 Seminar
File Structure for USGS_DRO database
Data collected under a diversity of sampling situations, using nets and quite a variety of trap types. This file documents the fields in the database.
Aggregates Data by State, Type, and End Use; 1971–2016
This data set contains supplemental aggregates data for the USGS Minerals Yearbook Volume II—Area Reports: Domestic. It contains data for the years 1971 through 2016 and replaces the discrete construction aggregate tables that were included in the individual State chapters prior to 2014. It contains
Hillshade showing topographic changes before and after develop.
Hillshade showing topographic changes before and after suburban develop in Tributary 104 located in Clarksburg, MD. Left photo is from 2002 (pre-development) and right photo is from 2013 (post-development).
The "Best Report" for 2014 is "Hydrogeologic characterization and assessment of bioremediation of chlorinated benzenes and benzene in wetland areas, Standard Chlorine of Delaware, Inc. Superfund Site, New Castle County, Delaware, 2009-12"
Hydrogeologic characterization and assessment of bioremediation of chlorinated benzenes and benzene in wetland areas
Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced today that Interior’s Northeast Climate Science Center (NE CSC) is awarding nearly $700,000 to universities and other partners for research to guide managers of parks, refuges and other cultural and natural resources in planning how to help species and ecosystems adapt to climate change.
Average chloride concentrations often exceed toxic levels in many northern United States streams due to the use of salt to deice winter pavement, and the frequency of these occurrences nearly doubled in two decades.
Three years after a magnitude 5.8 earthquake caused $25 million worth of damage to its pinnacles, buttresses and ceilings, the Washington National Cathedral will host earthquake experts from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the Great ShakeOut earthquake drill.
A press conference will be held on October 14, 2014 in recognition of the upcoming International ShakeOut Day of Action. On October 16, nearly 25 million people (2 million in the SouthEast region) are expected to participate in the world’s largest earthquake drill.
Department of the Interior scientists are generating and sharing critical information to aid the recovery of the areas impacted by Hurricane Sandy, helping to protect our valuable coastal resources and to make communities more resilient against future extreme storms.
Vital coastal storm-tide information needed to help guide storm response efforts following major storms affecting Maryland will be more accessible than ever due to a new monitoring network the U.S. Geological Survey is currently building.
Vital coastal storm-tide information needed to help guide storm response efforts following major storms affecting Pennsylvania will be more accessible than ever due to a new monitoring network the U.S. Geological Survey is currently building.
On the one-year anniversary of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell today released a new report showing that forests, wetlands and farms in the eastern United States naturally store 300 million tons of carbon a year (1,100 million tons of CO2 equivalent).
US Topo maps now have a crisper, cleaner design - enhancing readability of maps for online and printed use. Map symbols are easier to read over the digital aerial photograph layer whether the imagery is turned on or off.
Want to know how elevation will benefit your state? The USGS National Geospatial Program is advancing the 3D Elevation Program, known as 3DEP, in response to the growing need for high-quality three-dimensional representations of the Nation’s natural and constructed features.
Stronger storms, rising seas, and flooding are placing hundreds of millions people at risk around the world, and big part of the solution to decrease those risks is just off shore. A new study finds that coral reefs reduce the wave energy that would otherwise impact coastlines by 97 percent.
Oyster aquaculture in the Potomac River estuary could result in significant improvements to water quality, according to a new NOAA and U.S. Geological Survey study published in the journal Aquatic Geochemistry.
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Locations
Chesapeake Bay Program
Phone: (800) YOUR-BAY (968-7229)
Fax: (410) 267-5777
MD-DE-DC Water Science Center
information@usgs.gov
Phone: 443-498-5500
Fax: 442-498-5510
Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
webmaster@patuxent.usgs.gov
Phone: 301 497-5500
Chesapeake Bay Activities
Phone: 443-498-5552
Fax: 443-498-5510
Patuxent Wildlife Research Center - Beltsville Lab
Office of External Research
Phone: (443) 498-5505
Fax: (703) 648-5002
Contacts
Maryland - Delaware - Washington D.C. Water Science Center
5522 Research Park Drive
Catonsville, MD 21228
Phone: 443-498-5500
Fax: 442-498-5510
Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
12100 Beech Forest Road
Laurel, MD 20708-4039
Phone: 301-497-5000
Patuxent Research