Water Resources

Water is sometimes called the lifeblood of the Refuge System. Maintaining sufficient quantities of clean, fresh water is vital to individual refuge purposes, as well as to the Refuge System mission. Effective management of refuge water resources requires knowledge of complex water laws and up-to-date information on water quantity and quality.

 

The Branch of Air and Water Resources provides national coordination and support for the Refuge System's water resources through technical guidance and the development of data management tools.

 

The Water Resource Inventory and Assessment (WRIA) enables staff to store and retrieve water resource information, streamlining the production of Water Resource Assessments and supporting refuge management of water resources.