Discussion Lists

Compiled by Vanessa S. Gordon, Ph.D. and Joseph R. Makuch, Ph.D.
Complete revision 20200316

Internet "lists" or "mailing groups" are topical electronic forums where list subscribers may post announcements, participate in discussions, and pose and/or answer questions. These forums cover a vast array of topics. This is a listing of electronic discussion lists, or email listings, that are primarily concerned with topics related to water resources. For the sake of brevity and focus, the listing does not include the many other environmentally oriented lists that may periodically address water resource issues.

If you know of any additions, deletions, or corrections that should be made to this listing, please send the information to waic@ars.usda.gov.

Disclaimer: Information posted on these lists does not reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

People who belong to a discussion list receive all emails sent to the list and can in turn send e-mail to the list. The process of joining a list may be different for a given group, and are noted in the group description. If you have difficulty, please contact the site or email WAIC at the address above.

1. American Geophysical Union (AGU100) Advancing Earth and Space Science (Hydrology): “The Hydrology Section is one of twenty-five sections in the American Geophysical Union. Its members are concerned with the cycling of continental water (solid, liquid and vapor) at all scales, and with physical, chemical and biological processes driven by that cycling. Of AGU's almost 60,000 members, about 7000 list their primary affiliation with the hydrology section. https://connect.agu.org/hydrology/home Hydrologicial Discussion Community sign up: https://mediacenter.agu.org/sso/agu-connect/?service_redirect=https%3a%2f%2fconnect.agu.org%2fhydrology%2fcommunities%2fcommunitykey%3d321acee2-7e98-4450-8d06-b8d294181169%3ftoken%3dIND_TOKEN 
2. AQUA-L: Discussions on the science, technologies and business of aquaculture. To join, send e-mail to: listserv@vm.uoguelph.ca with subscribe Aqua-L yourfirstname yourlastname in the body of your e-mail message and nothing in the "Subject:" line.  
3. CHESAPEAKE BAY PROGRAM BAY NEWS: "provides subscribers with a daily compilation of news articles discussing the restoration, health and culture of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed." Subscribe or access the archives at https://www.chesapeakebay.net/action/newsletters.Subscription address: Use URL above.Message postings to: POSTINGS FROM Chesapeake Bay Program Bay News ONLY 
4. COMMONS-EVERGLADES: The Everglades Information Exchange Discussion List; for people and organizations participating in, or simply interested in, the restoration of the Everglades and its companion watersheds to exchange ideas, raise concerns, offer assistance and otherwise communicate about Everglades restoration. Access linked to archived, but current, website: https://lists.sierraclub.org/SCRIPTS/WA.EXE?A0=COMMONS-EVERGLADES; Subscribe: https://lists.sierraclub.org/SCRIPTS/WA.EXE?SUBED1=COMMONS-EVERGLADES&A=1; Search archives: https://lists.sierraclub.org/SCRIPTS/WA.EXE?REPORT&z=4&1=COMMONS-EVERGLADES&L=COMMONS-EVERGLADES
5. CORAL-LIST: The Coral-List discussion forum; for coral health research as it pertains to global coral reef health and monitoring; primarily for coral health researchers and scientists. Subscription address: http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list/Message postings to: coral-list@coral.aoml.noaa.gov 
6. ENVIRO-NEWS: Environmental News; a place to post announcements (job vacancies, funding opportunities; new Web resources; conferences) related to the environment; not a discussion list; not for asking or answering questions; no commercial postings, please. LISTSERV@NAL.USDA.GOV (or go to URL above) Message postings to: ENVIRO-NEWS@NAL.USDA.GOV 
7. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) -Hudson: "...current information about EPA's efforts to remediate the PCB contamination in the Hudson River PCBs Superfund Site. If you have something that is not somehow related to the Hudson River PCBs Superfund Site -- it would be better to post it to a more general discussion list." List access is available at http://epa.gov/hudson/listserv.htm.Subscription address: See URL above.Postings to: epa-hudson@lists.epa.gov 
8. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - Small and Rural Wastewater Systems: https://www.epa.gov/small-and-rural-wastewater-systems EPA provides financial and technical assistance to small and rural communities to establish and improve wastewater treatment services, lower the risk of harm to public health, and protect the environment. Subtopics include: Overview of small systems; Wastewater treatment technologies; and, Challenges and needs. Email subscriptions: https://www.epa.gov/newsroom/email-subscriptions-epa-news-releases where topics of interest can be adjusted in personal account.
9. FEFLOW Users Group: “Groundwater projects are becoming more and more demanding - requiring modelling software with more sophisticated capabilities than ever before. FEFLOW provides best-in-class technology for groundwater flow, contaminant, groundwater age and heat transport simulations. With its efficient user interface and its yet unmatched range of functionality and flexibility, FEFLOW has become a standard in premium groundwater modelling over the last 35 years.” User Forum with tools to join: https://forum.mikepoweredbydhi.com/index.php/board,10.0.html
10. FISHERIES AND OCEANS CANADA: Fisheries and Oceans Canada is the federal lead for safeguarding our waters and managing Canada's fisheries, oceans and freshwater resources. We support economic growth in the marine and fisheries sectors, and innovation in areas such as aquaculture and biotechnology. We help ensure healthy and sustainable aquatic ecosystems through habitat protection and sound science. https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/index-eng.htm
11. FISH-SCI: Scientific forum on fish and fisheries. Access linked to archived, but current, website: http://segate.sunet.se/cgi-bin/wa?A0=FISH-SCI
12. Fish Management - FISHFOLK: Fishfolk is an email discussion group on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. https://fisherymanagement.fandom.com/wiki/Fishfolk. “Started by Madeleine Hall-Arber in 1993, Fishfolk was originally set up as a discussion area for social scientists with interests in fisheries, but gradually broadened in scope until it now covers fishery management in general, and involves a wide range of interested individuals, including active fishers and government officials.” Join Fishfolk ListServ: Email listserv@mitvma.mit.edu containing the following one line of text (nothing is needed in the subject line of your email): subscribe fishfolk yourfirstname yourlastname  
13. GLIN-ANNOUNCE: Great Lakes Information Network Announcements; postings of various announcements with relevance to Great Lakes issues. Subscriptions approved by list owner. Subscribe or view archives at https://glc-lists.merit.edu/sympa/info/glin-announce. See other Great Lakes lists at https://www.glc.org/email-groups.
14. Great Lakes Commission des Grands Lacs, Great Lakes Email Groups: “The Great Lakes Commission administers several email subscription groups focused on Great Lakes issues, including our popular GLIN-Announce and GLIN-Jobs groups.  They deliver news and information directly to your inbox, and serve as a great way for subscribers to keep up-to-date on Great Lakes regional issues and events from multiple organizations and Great Lakes stakeholders. https://www.glc.org/email-groups Multiple email groups include: 1) GLIN-Announce – GLIN-Announce is a forum for sharing news of interest to the Great Lakes community.  Subscribers represent a wide cross-section of Great Lakes industry experts, educators, stakeholders and interested parties.  Join this group to share and receive Great Lakes news, upcoming conference alerts, research information, and more!; 2) Beachnet: Beachnet is a forum that seeks to facilitate communication and networking between people interested in the improvement of recreational beach water quality in the Great Lakes basin; 3) GL-SWCD: GL-SWCD provides an opportunity for soil and water conservation districts, land conservation departments and relevant state, federal and regional agency personnel as well as other interested persons to communicate on a variety of issues of interest to districts in the Great Lakes basin; and, 4) MICH-RAP: MICH-RAP provides a forum for the RAP and LaMP community in Michigan to share news and information related to the Areas of Concern and Lakewide Management programs in the state of Michigan. All email lists can be joined from the main site above.
15. Groundwater Modeling System (GMS), Surface-Water Modeling System (SMS), and Watershed Modeling System (WMS) User Forum: GMS "is an advanced, powerful, and comprehensive groundwater modeling package. GMS provides complete support for the USGS MODFLOW 3D finite difference, MODPATH 3D particle tracking, MT3DMS 3D multi-species contaminant transport, RT3D 3D bioremediation transport, SEAM3D 3D bioremediation transport, SEEP2D 2D finite element, and FEMWATER 3D finite element groundwater models. Tools are provided for site characterization, model conceptualization, mesh and grid generation, geostatistics, telescopic model refinement, automated model calibration, and output post-processing. The program allows common information to be shared among different data types and groundwater models. GMS is completely graphical, and can display a defined groundwater model in either plan view or 3D oblique view, and can be rotated interactively. Tools are provided for site characterization, model conceptualization, mesh and grid generation, geostatistics, and output post-processing. http://forum.aquaveo.com/ Can access and post without an account. Register with button on top right of link above. Must have an account to follow discussion thread updates. 
16. Government of Canada – Water and the Environment: Water science, water quality, quantity, Great Lakes, Saint-Lawrence, cleaning lakes and rivers, legislation. https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/water-overview.html
17. Groundwater Vistas (GV): GV is a "sophisticated Windows graphical user interface for 3-D groundwater flow & transport modeling. GV couples a powerful model design system with comprehensive graphical analysis tools. GV is a model-independent graphical design system for MODFLOW MODPATH (both steady-state and transient versions), MT3DMS, MODFLOWT, MODFLOW-SURFACT, MODFLOW2000, GFLOW, RT3D, PATH3D, SEAWAT and PEST, the model-independent calibration software. The combination of PEST and GV's automatic sensitivity analysis make GV a powerful calibration tool. Forum on GV: https://www.researchgate.net/search?q=groundwater%20vista. Join ResearchGate free of charge: https://www.researchgate.net/signup.SignUp.html?hdrsu=1
18. HUDSON-NRDA: Hudson River Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) List. "A listserv to provide updates on the assessment and restoration efforts for the Hudson River. If you choose to join the Hudson-NRDA listserv, you will receive e-mail updates about the Hudson NRDA every three to five months. The Hudson-NRDA listserv, which will be managed by the trustees [trustees for the Hudson River NRDA are the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and the U.S. Department of the Interior], is separate from the EPA-Hudson listserv [see above], which is managed by EPA and provides notices on the dredging project design and cleanup."Subscription address: REQUESTS@WILLAMETTE.NOS.NOAA.GOV(Put in the subject line: Subscribe hudsonnrda) (You will receive a confirmation e-mail to which you must reply within twenty-four hours.)Message postings to: POSTINGS FROM HUDSON-NRDA ONLY. 
19. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences (HESS): An interactive open-access journal of the European Geosciences Union. “Hydrology and Earth System Sciences (HESS) is a not-for-profit international two-stage open-access journal for the publication of original research in hydrology. The discussion and peer review of submitted papers are handled in the open-access discussion forum HESSD. Final papers, upon acceptance, appear in HESS (see interactive review process). HESS encourages and supports fundamental and applied research that advances the understanding of hydrological systems, their role in providing water for ecosystems and society, and the role of the water cycle in the functioning of the Earth system. A multi-disciplinary approach is encouraged that broadens the hydrological perspective and the advancement of hydrological science through integration with other cognate sciences and cross-fertilization across disciplinary boundaries. HESS, therefore, aims to serve not only the hydrological science community but all earth and life scientists, water engineers, and water managers, who wish to publish original findings on the interactions and feedbacks between the governing processes of the water cycle and processes governing atmospheric circulation and climate, bio-geochemical cycling, dynamics, and resilience of ecosystems and socio-economy. Main website: https://www.hydrology-and-earth-system-sciences.net/about/aims_and_scope.html; Subscribe to alerts: https://www.hydrology-and-earth-system-sciences.net/subscribe_to_alerts.html; Discussion forum rules: https://www.hydrology-and-earth-system-sciences.net/peer_review/commenting_on_a_paper.html; Discussion forum: https://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci-discuss.net/discussion_papers.html
20. IAMSLIC: A discussion group of the International Association of Marine & Aquatic Science Libraries and Information Centers that facilitates communication and sharing in the aquatic science information community. https://iamslic.wildapricot.org/ Newsletters have been replaced with a blog format under “News & Announcements”: https://iamslic.wildapricot.org/News-&-Announcements/8634835. Archived newsletters are located (and searchable): https://darchive.mblwhoilibrary.org/handle/1912/165
21. Illinois Rivers and Streams (IDNR): https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/education/Pages/ILRiversStreams.aspx Podcasts available throughout site to listen to written information. https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/OI/Pages/Podcasts.aspx
22. IRRIGATION-L: (SITE BEING UPDATED) List for irrigation theory and practice; discussions related to any type of irrigation system; format is typically question-and-answer but postings covering research projects and results, new technologies and products and other topics related to irrigation are welcome; list covers not only technical aspects of irrigation such as design, hydraulics, system layouts but also topics involving irrigation management and sociocultural, political and economic aspects of irrigation. For more information and to subscribe see http://www.irrigation-l.org/Subscription address: LISTSERV@LISTSERV.DFN.DE (or through the URL above)Message postings to: IRRIGATION-L@LISTSERV.DFN.DE 
23. Marine Ecology List: http://wgbis.ces.iisc.ernet.in/envis/mardoc78.html List and discussion board of multiple topics including, but not limited to: MAR-FACIL (Marine Facilities List; discussion of technical and business topics related to marine research facilities, aquaculture operations, public aquaria and other facilities supplying seawater for the support of marine life.); MARMAM (Marine Mammals Research and Conservation ); MEH2O-L (Middle East Water List; discussion group for information and research relating to water in the Middle East.).
24. Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Water Program: Lake protection and management – “Every lake is unique. Long-term management considers the environmental, cultural, and biological factors affecting the lake and sets a priority on finding lasting solutions. Lake management is complicated and requires a coordinated effort of community groups, individuals, landowners, and government. To be effective, lake managers must commit to long-term strategies and investment. Specific strategies to address a lake's nutrient enrichment problems must focus on activities in the watershed and, if needed, in-lake restoration techniques.” https://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/lake-protection-and-management. Sign up for Gov Delivery emails on many MPCA topics: https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNPCA/subscriber/new?qsp=MNPCA_1 
25. Natural Resources Canada – Groundwater and Aquifers: Users can access publications, perform publication searches, and also retrieve data related to: Groundwater; Aquifer; Hydrogeology; Water Quality; and Watershed. They can also search an entire collection of geospatial data, topographical and geoscience maps, images, and scientific publications. https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/earth-sciences/sciences/earth-sciences-water/groundwater-and-aquifers/10988
26. Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) – Hydrology and Hydraulics: : In support of conservation efforts across the nation, NRCS works with land owners in the disciplines of hydrology and hydraulics.  Download tools and models here, as well as significant technical information developed over the lifetime of the agency.  Training material is also available.  In each of the 50 states NRCS has a hydraulic engineering contact person. Links available to Tools and Models, NRCS H&H Contacts, Technical Information, and Training Material. https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/water/manage/hydrology/
27. North American Native Fishes Association (NANFA): “The North American Native Fishes Association, Inc. (NANFA) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, tax-exempt corporation dedicated to the appreciation, study and conservation of the continent's native fishes.” NANFA Objectives - 1) To increase and disseminate knowledge about North America's native fishes and their habitats among aquarium hobbyists, biologists, fish and wildlife officials, anglers, educators, students, and others, through publications, electronic media, regional and national meetings, and other means; 2) to promote the conservation of native fishes and the protection/ restoration of natural habitats; 3) to advance the captive husbandry of North America's native fishes for the educational, scientific, and conservation benefits it affords; 4) to encourage and defend the legal and environmentally responsible collection of native fishes for private aquaria as a valid use of a natural resource; and, 5) to provide a forum for fellowship and camaraderie among individuals who share a common interest in the diversity, biology, captive husbandry, and conservation of North America's native fishes. Website: http://www.nanfa.org/default.shtml Discussion Forums: http://forum.nanfa.org/ 
28. National Environmental Services Center (NESC): "This notification service gives subscribers the opportunity to learn of National Drinking Water Clearinghouse (NDWC) activities and announcements before the news is published in our magazine, On Tap." For more information, see http://www.nesc.wvu.edu/ontap.cfm
29. National Wild and Scenic Rivers System: Topics include designated rivers, national system, river management, and additional resources including a nationwide rivers inventory. Question and Answer search engine https://www.rivers.gov/information.php
30. Nile Basin Initiative – Core Functions: Information about "events of the Nile Basin Initiative, project activities, procurement requirements and other news." https://www.nilebasin.org/what-we-do/what-we-do Nile Basin Decision Support System – Helpdesk and User Community Portal http://nbdss.nilebasin.org/support/home. A private account will account will allow you to open tickets to receive private responses to your requests as well as open new topics and reply to comments in user community. http://nbdss.nilebasin.org/support/signup 
31. NPSINFO: Nonpoint-Source Pollution Information; forum for open discussion of nonpoint-source pollution issues; topics include agricultural NPS, urban runoff, technology, educational and funding alternatives, coastal NPS, forest management, BMPs, hydrological modification and aquatic habitat modification; postings of news articles, short abstracts, announcements, and conference notices as well as questions, answers, and opinions. List access is available at https://www.epa.gov/nps Subscription address: See URL above.Message Postings to: NPSINFO@LISTS.EPA.GOV 
32. NSFC Discussion Group: National Small Flows Clearinghouse Discussion Group. Provided by NSFC "as a means of discussing small community wastewater issues." Web based; subscribe and access at http://www.nesc.wvu.edu/smallflows.cfm Subscription address: See URL. "Tech Briefs" are four-page fact sheets included in On Tap magazine produced by the National Environmental Services Center (NESC). Each fact sheet provides concise, technical information about a drinking water treatment technology or issue relevant to small systems. "Tech Briefs" are written for drinking water professionals, particularly small system operators. Tables and descriptive illustrations are provided, as well as sources for more information. http://www.nesc.wvu.edu/techbrief.cfm, info@mail.nesc.wvu.edu 
33. SEAWAT: US Geological Service Groundwater Information. https://water.usgs.gov/ogw/seawat/seawatv2.html “The SEAWAT program was developed to simulate three-dimensional, variable- density, transient ground-water flow in porous media. The source code for SEAWAT was developed by combining MODFLOW and MT3DMS into a single program that solves the coupled flow and solute-transport equations. The SEAWAT code follows a modular structure, and thus, new capabilities can be added with only minor modifications to the main program. SEAWAT reads and writes standard MODFLOW and MT3DMS data sets, although some extra input may be required for some SEAWAT simulations. This means that many of the existing pre- and post-processors can be used to create input data sets and analyze simulation results. Users familiar with MODFLOW and MT3DMS should have little difficulty applying SEAWAT to problems of variable-density ground-water flow.” Software can be downloaded and tech support provided. Subscribe to get the latest USGS groundwater news and science sent to your inbox every month https://usgs.us12.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=b3a0bf5b026477bbd84ac997c&id=22cf8ad51c
34. TRICKLE-L: Trickle Irrigation Discussion List; Unmoderated discussion of all aspects of trickle or drip irrigation.Subscription address: LISTSERV@UNL.EDUMessage Postings to: TRICKLE-L@UNL.EDU 
35. USGS Wastewater Treatment Water Use: “Wastewater is used water. It includes substances such as human waste, food scraps, oils, soaps and chemicals. In homes, this includes water from sinks, showers, bathtubs, toilets, washing machines and dishwashers. Businesses and industries also contribute their share of used water that must be cleaned.” https://www.usgs.gov/special-topic/water-science-school/science/wastewater-treatment-water-use?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects. Readers can obtain news releases through RSS and topic-based USGS social media accounts. Email subscriptions not available at this time. https://www.usgs.gov/news/get-our-news
36. VOLMONITOR: The national listserv for volunteer monitors. It was established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency to encourage communication and information exchange among the nation's growing number of volunteer environmental monitoring programs. List access is available at http://water.epa.gov/type/rsl/monitoring/listinstruct.cfm.Subscription address: See URL above.Message Postings to: VOLMONITOR@LISTS.EPA.GOV 
37. Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP): WEAP is an initiative of the Stockholm Environment Institute’s U.S. Center. “Freshwater management challenges are increasingly common. Allocation of limited water resources between agricultural, municipal and environmental uses now requires the full integration of supply, demand, water quality and ecological considerations. The Water Evaluation and Planning system, or WEAP, aims to incorporate these issues into a practical yet robust tool for integrated water resources planning. WEAP is developed by the Stockholm Environment Institute's U.S. Center.” User Forum with multiple topics: https://www.weap21.org/index.asp; Joining the user forum: https://www.weap21.org/index.asp?action=8 
38. WATER HEADLINES: Water Headlines is a weekly on-line publication that announces publications, policies, and activities of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Water. https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-office-water. Blog Entries https://blog.epa.gov/2013/12/05/water-access-along-the-border/. Archives at http://water.epa.gov/aboutow/ownews/waterheadlines/archive.cfm. Subscribe to EPA Office of Water email updates https://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin?v=001_7PonYN7W-4Ry-HodeF1L282TGwyAI_bPVDtK6C9ducYwqxgTTwtN5Gs-YsFO_EjdhqQWk8nDt1Hh0U49A-NloftWrEZb73HrJau0N00sSc%3D 
39. WATER-PR: Press releases on water topics from the U. S. Geological Survey (USGS); not a discussion list; not for asking or answering questions. For additional information, see https://www.usgs.gov/news/news-releases/Subscription address: LISTPROC@LISTSERVER.USGS.GOVMessage Postings to: POSTINGS BY USGS ONLY
40. Water Topics (EPA): “…When the water in our rivers, lakes, and oceans becomes polluted; it can endanger wildlife, make our drinking water unsafe, and threaten the waters where we swim and fish. EPA research supports efforts under the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act.” https://www.epa.gov/environmental-topics/water-topics#our-waters. Page topics include Drinking Water, Water Bodies, Wastewater and Water Treatment, Monitoring and Preventing Water Pollution, Infrastructure Finance, Water Research, Water Resilience, and What You Can do. Subscribe to mailing list for EPA news releases at https://www.epa.gov/newsroom/email-subscriptions-epa-news-releases
41. WQ-L: Water Quality Discussion List. For communication and discussion among water resource managers, particularly those associated with the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Archives at https://listserv.uri.edu/scripts/wa-uriedu.exe?A0=WQ-L&A0=WQ-L. Subscribe to Listserv at https://listserv.uri.edu/scripts/wa-uriedu.exe?GETPW1.
42. WQS-NEWS: "...a computerized list server operated by the Standards and Health Protection Division (SHPD) in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Water in Washington, DC. As a subscriber, you will receive electronic copies of various Division publications and announcements. These include the Water Quality Criteria and Standards Newsletter, the Contaminated Sediment News, announcements for upcoming meetings (such as Multi-Regional Water Quality Standards Meetings and Water Quality Standards Academies) and other announcements..." https://www.epa.gov/standards-water-body-health. Subscribe to Listserv at: https://www.epa.gov/wqs-tech/wqsnews-listserv-receive-alerts-about-water-quality-standards-news-and-events.