USGS Alabama Water Science Center

Welcome to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Web page for the water resources of Alabama; this is your direct link to all kinds of water-resource information. Here you'll find information on Alabama'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.

USGS Alabama Highlights

USGS StreamStats

StreamStats is a Web-based tool that provides streamflow statistics, drainage-basin characteristics, and other information for USGS streamgaging stations and for user-selected ungaged sites on streams. When users select the location of a streamgaging station, StreamStats provides previously published information from a database. When users select a site on an ungaged stream, StreamStats will determine the drainage-basin boundary for the site, compute a variety of drainage-basin characteristics, and solve regression equations to estimate streamflow statistic for the site. This information is needed by engineers, land and water-resource managers, biologists, and many others to help guide decisions in their everyday work.

StreamStats for Alabama was developed by USGS in cooperation with the following agencies:

Featured Project

U.S. Geological Survey Flood Inundation Mapping Science

Static flood-inundation map libraries consist of maps that have been created in advance of a flood that are ready to be served through the Internet. Each library consists of a set of flood extent and depth maps developed for predetermined stream stage intervals (for example, a map for each one foot of stage). A user can view real-time or forecast stage data from a USGS streamgage or National Weather Service flood forecast point and quickly access the map corresponding to the stage data.

Example: Inundation Mapping, Black Warrior River at Oliver Lock and Dam, AL Courtesy of National Weather Service – Weather Forecast Office, Birmingham, AL.

To learn more about flood-inundation mapping science, please call (334) 395-4120.

Highlighted Publications

The Alabama Water Science Center Publications about Water Resources

Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5014
Occurrence of Pesticides in Groundwater Underlying Areas of High-Density Row-Crop Production in Alabama, 2009–2013 By Heather L. Welch

Data Series 855
Mobile Terrestrial Light Detection and Ranging (T-LiDAR) Survey of Areas on Dauphin Island, Alabama, in the Aftermath of Hurricane Isaac, 2012 By D.R. Kimbrow

Data Series 840
Topographic Lidar Survey of the Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana, February 6, 2012 By Kristy K. Guy, Nathaniel G. Plant, and Jamie M. Bonisteel-Cormier

Data Series 839
Topographic Lidar Survey of the Alabama, Mississippi, and Southeast Louisiana Barrier Islands, from September 5 to October 11, 2012 By Kristy K. Guy, Kara J. Doran, Hilary F. Stockdon, and Nathaniel G. Plant

Data Series 838
Topographic Lidar Survey of Dauphin Island, Alabama and Chandeleur, Stake, Grand Gosier and Breton Islands, Louisiana, July 12–14, 2013 By Kristy K. Guy and Nathaniel G. Plant

Data Series 826
Topographic Data of Selected Areas Along the Alabama River Near Montgomery, Alabama, Collected Using Mobile Terrestrial Light Detection and Ranging (T-LiDAR) Technology, By D.R. Kimbrow

Open-File Report 2013-1298
Groundwater Quality at Alabama Plating and Vincent Spring, Vincent, Alabama, 2007–2008 By Michael W. Bradley and Amy C. Gill

DATA CENTER

FACTS ABOUT ALABAMA

ABOUT THE ALABAMA WSC

USGS IN YOUR STATE

Water Resources of Alabama