USGS collects data at the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway

Noteworthy

National & Regional Science:

• March 10-16: National Groundwater Awareness Week
• OFR 2012-5228: Organic contaminants, trace and major elements, and nutrients in water and sediment sampled in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
• Fact Sheet: Tracking and Forecasting the Nation's Water Quality Priorities and Strategies for 2013–2023
• An Economic Value of Remote-Sensing Information: Application to Agricultural Production and Maintaining Groundwater Quality
• WaterNow: Get current water conditions by text or email

Local Science Features:

• New Hampshire: Concentrations of Chloride and Sodium in Groundwater in New Hampshire From 1960 Through 2011
• Arkansas: No Contamination from Fayetteville Shale Exploration Found in Sampled Wells

Past listings...

Water Quality Data

National Water Information System (NWIS)

NWIS provides current and historical water-quality data.

Today's Water Conditions

Water-Quality Watch provides continuous real-time water-quality measurements.

Water-Quality Web Services

Web services automate the sharing of USGS and USEPA water-quality monitoring data.

For More Data

Additional water-quality data resources are available.

USGS in Your Area

USGS Water Science Centers are located in each state.

USGS Water-Quality Programs

Many USGS programs focus on or include water-quality issues as part of their applied research and (or) data collection and analysis. National USGS programs that include water quality as part of their work are listed below.

Drinking Water Research

The USGS provides scientific data and information on the occurrence, fate, and transport of emerging and traditionally studied contaminants in water resources. The USGS also provides assessments of drinking water sources and assesses the vulnerability of water supplies to contamination.

National Water-Quality Assessment Program

The National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program describes the status and trends in the quality of a large representative part of the Nation's groundwater and surface-water resources, and develops an understanding of the natural and human factors affecting the quality of these resources. The Program provides sound, nationally consistent water-quality information upon which water-resources decision making at all governmental levels can be based, and integrates water-quality information at local, regional, and national scales to address a wide range of major water-quality issues.

• Transport of Anthropogenic and Natural Contaminants (TANC) to Supply Wells

Toxic Substances Hydrology Program

The Toxic Substances Hydrology Program provides objective research and scientific information on environmental contamination to improve characterization and management of contaminated sites, to protect environmental health, and to reduce potential future contamination problems. The Program produces new analytical methods, scientific simulation models, and an understanding of the physical, chemical and biological processes that control contaminant source loading, transport, and transformation in the environment.

Atmospheric Deposition Program

The USGS is the lead federal agency for the monitoring of wet atmospheric deposition (chemical constituents deposited from the atmosphere via rain, sleet, and snow) in the United States. The USGS atmospheric deposition program provides:

1. participation and leadership in the National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) and
2. scientific research and assessment to evaluate trends and the effects of atmospheric deposition on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.

National Park Service (NPS) - USGS Water Quality Partnership

The NPS/USGS Water-Quality Partnership provides USGS technical assistance, water-quality monitoring, and water-resource assessment within National Parks that supports Park resource managers in making scientifically defensible management and policy decisions.

National Stream Quality Accounting Network

The National Stream Quality Accounting Network (NASQAN) provides data on concentrations and the transport of constituents (loads) of sediment, nutrients, metals, major ions, and pesticides within the Mississippi River Basin, and from the Mississippi River and 12 additional large rivers around the Nation to the coastal zone.

Hydrologic Benchmark Network

The Hydrologic Benchmark Network (HBN) provides long-term measurements of streamflow and water quality in areas that are minimally affected by human activities. These data are used to study long-term trends in surface-water flow and water chemistry, and serve as a benchmark with which to compare changes in flow and chemistry in developed watersheds.

National Research Program

The National Research Program conducts basic and problem oriented hydrologic research in support of the USGS mission.

The Cooperative Water Program

The national Cooperative Water Program provides reliable, impartial, and timely information needed to understand the Nation's water resources. Through shared efforts and funding with State, Tribal, and local partners, the program helps decision makers wisely manage the Nation's water resources.

International Water Resources Branch

Visit the web site to learn more about the activities of the USGS International Water Resources Branch.

Groundwater Resources Program

The Groundwater Resources Program provides objective scientific information and develops the interdisciplinary understanding necessary to assess and quantify the availability of the Nation's groundwater resources.