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About Water
These sites focus on water as it occurs -- in lakes, rivers, oceans,
and more.
Assets
- Liquid Assets 2000: America's Water
Resources at a Turning Point
Provides a snapshot of the economic value of clean water, the problems
we face in the new millennium, and the actions we must take to protect
and restore the nation's water resources. This report explores the current
condition of the nation's water resources and demonstrates the link
between clean water and a strong economy by focusing on specific businesses
and activities that rely on clean water.
Beaches
Drinking Water
- Water on
Tap: A Consumer's Guide to the Nation's Drinking Water
- Protecting Sources
of Drinking Water
The 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments placed a new focus on source
water protection by requiring States to implement Source Water Assessment
and Protection (SWAP) programs to assess areas serving as sources of
drinking water in order to identify potential threats and implement
protection efforts.
- Information About
Your Local Drinking Water System
A short new report (consumer confidence report) from your water supplier
will tell you where your water comes from and what's in it.
Estuaries
- What is an Estuary?
An estuary is a partially enclosed body of water formed where freshwater
from rivers and streams flows into the ocean, mixing with the salty
sea water. Estuaries and the lands surrounding them are places of transition
from land to sea, and from fresh to salt water.
- Which Estuaries
are in the NEP?
Program profiles of the estuaries in the National Estuary Program (NEP).
Ground Water
Lakes
- Clean Lakes
Comprising 39.9 million acres, lakes and reservoirs are a major water
resource in this country. Freshwater inland lakes and reservoirs provide
our nation with 70% of its drinking water and supply water for industry,
irrigation, and hydropower. Lake ecosystems support complex and important
food web interactions and provide habitat needed to support numerous
threatened and endangered species.
Oceans
- Treasured Waters:
Protecting Our Coastal And Marine Resources
Most fresh water eventually flows to the ocean. Whatever affects water
inland, even far away from coastal areas, eventually impacts the health
and quality of coastal and marine waters. Picture a clean, clear mountain
stream, tumbling downhill and flowing into a small river. The river
grows as other streams flow into it, and eventually nears a coast where
the fresh water mixes with salt water and becomes an estuary, which
finally flows into the ocean. Stream water may start out clean, but
how clean is it when it finally reaches the ocean?
- Turning to
the Sea: America's Ocean Future
This report is presented courtesy of NOAA. The discussions between industry,
academics, government officials and environmental groups are summarized.
- Top Ten
Issues and Questions from Public Meetings for the National Ocean Conference
- Office of Wetlands, Oceans and
Watersheds
The Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds (OWOW) contains extensive
information about Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds.
Rivers
- American Heritage Rivers
Background, support for AHR, improved services and information for all
communities, special benefits for qualified applicants, and additional
information about selected American Heritage Rivers.
- Mississippi River Basin
This site provides information about the issues, organizations and activities
that involve the Mississippi River basin.
- Canadian Heritage Rivers System
This site discusses the rivers that are part of the Canadian Heritage
Rivers System. The site has an extensive photo gallery of the rivers.
Specific Water Bodies
- Active Programs
Links to information and efforts about particular water bodies such
as the Chesapeake Bay, Long Island Sound and the Great Lakes.
Wetlands
- America's
Wetlands: Our Vital Link Between Land and Water
This site will give you a better understanding of the rich variety of
wetlands, their importance, how they are threatened, and what can be
done to conserve them for future generations.
Watersheds
- Index of Watershed Indicators This site gives
you the opportunity to use maps or word searches to find information
about the quality of the water where you live. It provides information
at several geographic levels. For each watershed a score is given
and detailed information for the indicators that are used to arrive
at the score.
- Coastal Watersheds
Since a watershed is made up of several components that are all part
of the "big watershed picture," it is important to remember that what
happens on the land can affect the water. These brief factsheets discuss
coastal watersheds and associated topics.
- Showcase Watersheds
Selected watershed projects that represent a variety of geographic
locations and conditions, a balance of management and design, strong
local, tribal and state leadership, public and private land use mix,
and partnerships in stream corridor restoration. This website celebrates
these successful projects as examples of accomplishments through restoration.
- Surf Your Watershed
This site gives you the opportunity to use maps or word searches to
find information about the water where you live. It provides information
at several geographic levels and many sources.
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