California Water Science Center
Water Resources of CaliforniaWelcome to the USGS web site for the water resources of California. This is your direct link to all kinds of water-resource information. Here you'll find information on California's rivers and streams. You'll also find information about ground water, water quality, and many other topics. The USGS operates the most extensive satellite network of stream-gaging stations in the state, many of which form the backbone of flood-warning systems. The largest earthquake preparedness activity in U.S. history (Shake-Out) will take place on November 13th at 10 A.M.The USGS Multi-Hazards Demonstration Project created the earthquake scenario used in the ShakeOut drill that describes what will happen during and after a magnitude 7.8 on the southernmost 300 km of the San Andreas fault. The Great Southern California ShakeOut is organized by a collaboration of nonprofit, business, government and education partners including the USGS. Day in the DeltaTwenty-four teachers from throughout Northern California spent a "day in the Delta" with USGS scientists. The teachers heard about issues in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, and about how USGS science is addressing those issues. They also learned new ways to bring science to their classrooms. The teach-in was a presentation of Project Wet (Water Education for Teachers), part of the Water Education Foundation. Video USGS scientists study groundwater in California's Sierra NevadaView a video of a recent visit by USGS scientists to Yosemite National Park to test groundwater quality. The USGS is studying groundwater throughout the Sierra Nevada this summer and fall as part of the state of California's Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) program. USGS scientists will discuss the Sierra study at a meeting September 9 in Quincy, CA. Press Release | Video USGS, California and UC Davis begin large-scale Delta "carbon farm"Imagine a new kind of farming in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta-"carbon-capture" farming, which traps atmospheric carbon dioxide and rebuilds lost soils. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) and the University of California, Davis plan to make it happen. DWR has awarded USGS and UC Davis a three-year, $12.3 million research grant to take the concept of carbon-capture farming to full-scale in a scientifically and environmentally sound way. Press release | Video | Briefing paper(pdf, 6.2M) Our scientists span a broad range of researchThere are over 130 scientists working in the California Water Science Center and their expertise and interests span a very broad range of disciplinary approaches to modern water management issues. The majority of senior Center scientists have been officially recognized as "Research and Development Scientists" by the USGS for their ongoing scientific contributions, demonstrated excellence in scientific pursuits, leadership, and the impact their work has had on both the development of scientific knowledge and its application to real world management problems. There are many opportunities to collaborate with researchers at the Center. Many of the projects are conducted by multidisciplinary teams whose members include scientists from other USGS offices, universities, and our partner agencies. Several of the most senior researchers have hosted post-doctoral fellows and hold joint appointments at nearby universities. Picture above of a device invented by USGS CAWSC scientists for collecting depth-dependent samples from production wells under pumping conditions. Recent publications:
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