National Water Census
The USGS National Water Census (NWC) is designed to systematically provide information that will allow resource managers to assess the quantity, quality, and use of the Nation’s water.
The goal of the National Water Census (NWC) is to provide nationally consistent, well-documented information on water quantity, quality, and use that will allow resource managers to assess the Nation’s water availability and inform decision-making. The Water Availability and Use Science Program (WAUSP) supports this goal by investing in efforts to assess and provide information on the inputs, the outputs, and changes in the water budget. Furthermore, the USGS is examining the dynamic interactions and complex roles that major factors (i.e., water quality, drought, ecological flows, and water use) can have in water availability. Estimates of water budget components, as well as an understanding of how various factors can impact water availability, provide a means for the USGS to assess water availability.
Related Content
Water Use
Integrated Water Availability Assessments
Drought Prediction Science
Related Content
- Science
Water Use
Through the Water Availability and Use Science Program, USGS will provide national information on withdrawal, conveyance, consumptive use, and return flow by water-use category at spatial and temporal resolutions important for risk-informed water management decisions. Water-use data provide a foundation for water managers to analyze trends over time, plan more strategically, identify, and...Integrated Water Availability Assessments
The USGS Water Resources Mission Area is assessing how much water is available for human and ecological needs in the United States and identifying where and when the Nation may have challenges meeting its demand for water.Drought Prediction Science
Drought is a prolonged and widespread deficit in available water supplies that creates multiple stressors across ecosystems and communities. The U.S. Geological Survey Water Mission Area conducts drought research and modeling to improve drought prediction capabilities. The research focus is on understanding the hydrological, ecological, and economic ramifications of drought. The modeling focus...