Surface Water Monitoring

Like many other dams, Imperial Dam impounds much of the suspended sediment moving in the Colorado River but some of that suspended sediment makes its way to the All-American Canal, a major diversion for irrigation and municipal water. Water entering the All-American Canal is settled in several desilting basins to remove most of the remaining suspended sediment. The collected sediment from the...

In partnership with the Flood Control District of Maricopa County and as part of the Urban Waters Federal Partnership, the US Geological Survey is collecting water-quality and water-level data to help characterize the shallow groundwater and surface water along the Lower Gila River. Water sampling and continuous monitoring of specific conductance, surface water, and shallow groundwater level...

The AZWSC Grand Canyon Streamflow and Sediment project supports the work of Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center’s (GCMRC) Discharge, Sediment and Water Quality Project. This support is accomplished by collecting sediment, temperature, and streamflow data from tributaries of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon and by collecting temperature and streamflow data on the main stem of the Colorado...

The Arizona Water Science Center’s reach-scale monitoring program uses recent advances in techniques and technology to enhance the Arizona streamgage network with more accurate streamflow measurements and provide more extensive streamflow records and geomorphological datasets for our agency partners and the public.

The Arizona Water Science Center (AzWSC) maintains a robust Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) program, functioning as a regional field office for the USGS National Unmanned Projects Office (NUPO). We assist with close-range remote sensing data collection and processing for our regional and national cooperators including other Dept of Interior (DOI) Bureaus, while complying with all DOI and FAA...

The Yuma Field Office produces a monthly report of provisional flow data for the Lower Colorado River, its tributaries, and selected diversion and return flow sites. Many of the locations included in the data report are a part of Reclamation’s Decree Accounting Record to comply with Article V of the Decree of the Supreme Court of the United States in Arizona v. California dated March 9, 1964...

The AzWSC maintains a system of ~217 streamflow gages in Arizona, providing data and producing information about hazard, stream, and water-supply conditions. The primary clients of this data and information are local, State, Federal, and Tribal governments. The public can also access these data, including real-time streamflow alerts and reports through the USGS NWIS-Web for the Arizona Water...

Many communities along the U.S.-Mexico border have limited surface water supply and rely on transboundary aquifers for industry, agriculture, and drinking water; however, information on water needs, water quality, and the extent and functioning of these aquifers is incomplete. The Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program (TAAP), established through a binational agreement between the United States...

The Arizona Water Science Center collects water-quality data from stream and aquifer sites in networks that are part of the National Water-Quality Program (NWQP) and the National Stream Quality Accounting Network (NASQAN).

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contamination related to watercraft use is one of the most significant water-quality issues affecting Lake Powell at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (GLCA). Water quality in Lake Powell is important as the lake is a water source for public and agricultural consumption. In addition, more than 2 million people visit GLCA annually, and most of these visitors...

In the United States, the Colorado River Compact of 1922 apportions the waters of the Colorado River between the upper basin States and the lower basin States (U.S. Congress, 1948, p. A17-A22). The requirement for participation of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) is stated in Article V. Water in the lower Colorado River is apportioned among the States of...

Elevated levels of bacteria have been measured by the USGS, National Park Service, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), and other agencies, in the Upper Santa Cruz River, including within the reach at Tumacácori National Historical Park (TUMA). Indicators of pathogens in the river at TUMA are at levels that are of great concern to TUMA personnel responsible for safeguarding two of...