National Water Availability data available now through the Data Companion
Explore, download, and use new datasets related to integrated water availability, supply and use.
Explore, download, and use new datasets related to integrated water availability, supply and use.
USGS releases a comprehensive look at water resources in the United States
New National Water Availability Assessment offers critical insights into water supply, demand, and quality across the Nation.
New National Water Availability Assessment offers critical insights into water supply, demand, and quality across the Nation.
Water Resources Mission Area
Water Resources Mission Area
Water information is fundamental to national and local economic well-being, protection of life and property, and effective management of the Nation’s water resources. The USGS works with partners to monitor, assess, conduct targeted research, and deliver information on a wide range of water resources and conditions including streamflow, groundwater, water quality, and water use and availability.
Message from the Associate Director
Message from the Associate Director
Learn more about the Mission Area from the Associate Director for Water Resources.
Water Data for the Nation
Water Data for the Nation
Water data collected at approximately 1.9 million sites across all 50 states.
News
New User’s Guide to Updated Hydrographic Framework
New User’s Guide to Updated Hydrographic Framework
Elevated geogenic contaminants common in drinking water aquifers across the U.S.
Elevated geogenic contaminants common in drinking water aquifers across the U.S.
2025 in Review: The Saline Lake Ecosystems Integrated Water Availability Assessment
2025 in Review: The Saline Lake Ecosystems Integrated Water Availability Assessment
Publications
Compilation of a nationwide river image dataset for identifying river channels and river rapids via deep learning Compilation of a nationwide river image dataset for identifying river channels and river rapids via deep learning
Remote sensing enables large-scale, image-based assessments of river dynamics, offering new opportunities for hydrological monitoring. We present a publicly available dataset consisting of 281,024 satellite and aerial images of U.S. rivers, constructed using an Application Programming Interface (API) and the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Hydrography Dataset. The dataset includes...
Authors
Nicholas Brimhall, Kelvyn K. Bladen, Tom Kerby, Carl J. Legleiter, Cameron Swapp, Hannah Fluckiger, Julie E Bahr, Makenna Roberts, Kaden Hart, Christina L. Stegman, Brennan Bean, Kevin Moon
A review and synthesis of post-wildfire shifts in hydrologic processes and streamflow generation mechanisms A review and synthesis of post-wildfire shifts in hydrologic processes and streamflow generation mechanisms
Critical water supply watersheds in the western United States (WUS) are impacted by wildfires, with potential negative effects on water quality and quantity. Scientific understanding is currently insufficient to deliver estimates of wildfire consequences for water quantity that are regionally accurate. Regional variability in the directionality and magnitude of post-wildfire shifts in...
Authors
Brian A. Ebel, John C. Hammond, Michelle A. Walvoord, Trevor Fuess Partridge, David M. Rey, Sheila F. Murphy
Development and field testing of a UAS-based-software-defined radar for measuring freshwater bathymetry Development and field testing of a UAS-based-software-defined radar for measuring freshwater bathymetry
We provide an overview of an uncrewed aircraft system (UAS)-based software-defined radar (SDRadar) system for high-resolution geophysical observations. The radar transceiver is implemented on a Radio Frequency System-on-Chip (RFSoC) platform, along with an ultra-wideband Vivaldi antenna that has a starting operating frequency of 150 MHz, enabling the system to be used across different...
Authors
Sepehr Eskandari, Asem Melebari, Paul J. Kinzel, Robert Russell Lotspeich, Jack R. Eggleston, Mahta Moghaddam
Science
Alaska Science Center Weekly Findings
Recent findings by USGS Alaska Science Center staff and their collaborators.
Alaska Science Center Weekly Findings
Alaska Science Center Weekly Findings
Recent findings by USGS Alaska Science Center staff and their collaborators.
High-Water Marks
High-water marks are like footprints left behind by a flood — they show how high the water reached during a flood event. High-water marks serve as valuable data points for both educational purposes and scientific research, helping us understand past and recent flood events. Collecting this information is an essential and time-sensitive task for understanding flood risk and improving public safety.
High-Water Marks
High-Water Marks
High-water marks are like footprints left behind by a flood — they show how high the water reached during a flood event. High-water marks serve as valuable data points for both educational purposes and scientific research, helping us understand past and recent flood events. Collecting this information is an essential and time-sensitive task for understanding flood risk and improving public safety.
The Rusting of Arctic Rivers: Freshwater Ecosystems Respond to Rapidly Uptaking Metals
The water quality of streams and rivers in the Arctic is sensitive to rapid climate change and altered disturbance regimes.
The Rusting of Arctic Rivers: Freshwater Ecosystems Respond to Rapidly Uptaking Metals
The Rusting of Arctic Rivers: Freshwater Ecosystems Respond to Rapidly Uptaking Metals
The water quality of streams and rivers in the Arctic is sensitive to rapid climate change and altered disturbance regimes.