Texas Water Science Center
ABOUT THE TEXAS WSCUSGS IN YOUR STATEUSGS Water Science Centers are located in each state. ![]() |
Frequently Asked QuestionsEach day the Texas Water Science Center receives numerous inquiries by telephone, mail, or e-mail, from citizens attempting to obtain scientific information on a wide variety of subjects. We try to answer every request related to our mission or expertise and try to identify the agency or person responsible or knowledgeable for subjects not within our mission or expertise. Listed below are some of the most frequently asked questions that we cannot properly answer and the person or agency who can. Table of Contents
How can I find out if my property will be FLOODED with all the rain and high water lately?
The National Weather Service
(NWS) is the sole official agency responsible for
issuing flood warnings and forecasting flood conditions.
If you have property in a low-lying area or near
a stream or river, we recommend you access the following
NWS's Web sites regularly for current information: Where can I get FLOOD PLAIN MAPS or determine if property is in the 100-year flood plain?
You may telephone the Federal
Emergency Management Agency at 1(800) 358-9616 or
1 (800) 480-9616. You may consult the following
Internet site maintained by the Federal Emergency
Management Agency's National Flood Insurance Program
(FEMA-NFIP). Online access, ordering and pricing
information for FEMA flood maps are provided at: What kind of flow rates can we expect this weekend for canoeing/tubing/fishing the GUADALUPE BELOW CANYON DAM? Texas River Recreation
Advisories (including flow estimates and floatability
levels), are provided by the NWS at the following
URL:
Where can I find information about getting MAPS, AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY, SATELLITE IMAGES, landuse data and other USGS products?Online information about how to find/order USGS products may be accessed
at URL:
Who can I contact about ordering PUBLICATIONS such as water supply papers, WRI's, posters or factsheets?Telephone assistance in ordering products from the USGS may be obtained by dialing 1(888) 275-8747 or 1(888) ASK-USGS. Where can I find a list of Digital Orthophoto Quadrangles (DOQs)?Information on DIGITAL ORTHOPHOTO DATA (search/order/prices) may be found online at URL:http://eros.usgs.gov/products/aerial/doq.html How can I obtain SOIL SURVEY MAPS?The USDA's Natural Resource
Conservation Service (formerly the Soil Conservation
Service) has an Internet site listing soil surveys
available by state, see:
How can I get information about USGS BENCHMARKS?Visit the web page at URL: http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/datasheet.prl or telephone the Geodetic Section of the National Mapping Division in Denver at 303-202-4400. How can I get information on EARTHQUAKES, FAULTS, VOLCANOES, MOUNTAINS, OR ROCKS?For earthquake information call the National Earthquake Information Center in Denver at (303) 273-8582.
Where can I find OTHER FLOW DATA not available from the USGS current hydrologic conditions database?For a listing of agencies that provide other flow data and links to those agencies, see our sources of non-USGS flow data page. Who can I contact about WATER TESTING and/or FILTRATION?See the EPA's Office of
Groundwater and Drinking Water
FAQ
What is the NORMAL WATER SURFACE or HIGHEST ELEVATION FOR CONSERVATION PURPOSES of Texas reservoirs?
Many Texas reservoirs are owned
and operated by either the local river authority
or the US Army Corps of Engineers. For details
specific to the reservoir of interest, first try
looking at the agency's web site.
How is streamflow or discharge MEASURED by the USGS?Please click on http://nh.water.usgs.gov/gauge_station/3_howusgs.htm Where can I find GEOLOGIC MAPS for Texas or parts of Texas?UT's Bureau of Economic Geology
has published geologic atlases by geographic sheet
for all of Texas. To peruse their complete bestseller
list and select options for ordering please see
the following web site:
Where can I find current water temperatures for Lake Travis?The University of Texas Applied Research Labs monitor weather conditions
(including water temperatures) and post these data at
at URL:
Where can I find information on wetlands?See the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service webpage for the National Wetlands |