Message from the Director - Caribbean-Florida Water Science Center
A welcome from Dorothy F. Sifuentes, USGS Caribbean-Florida Water Science Center
Welcome to the website for the United States Geological Survey (USGS), Caribbean-Florida Waters Science Center. The USGS was established by Congress in 1879 to provide the Nation with reliable, timely and impartial information on the Nation's natural resources. This information is used to safeguard life and property during natural disasters, manage water, biological, energy and mineral resources, and to enhance and project our quality of life. As the Nation’s largest hydrologic, geologic, biologic and cartographic agency, the USGS collects, monitors, analyzes, and disseminates natural resources data. Our diverse expertise allows us to carry out large-scale, multi-disciplinary scientific investigations. We provide the results of these investigations in an impartial, quality-assured and peer-reviewed manner.
The USGS Caribbean-Florida Water Science Center focuses on the water-resources of Florida, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, cooperating with local state/commonwealth, county, or municipal partners, both fiscally and technically, to address challenges relevant to society. USGS hydrologic networks are composed of field stations to monitor water levels and flow, water quality, precipitation, evapotranspiration, and water use. These data, often collected over several decades, are used to assess the quantity, quality, and spatio-temporal variability of the water resource and to guide water resources management. Hydrologic monitoring aids in flood and drought alerts and responses, water supply planning, and ecosystem preservation. A wide range of interpretive studies are conducted by the USGS Caribbean-Florida Water Science Center to provide insights into hydrologic science that can guide water resources management. Topics of investigation range from hydrogeologic characterization, water and constituent flow and transport, flood and drought frequency analyses, water use compilation and mapping, evapotranspiration estimation, impacts of climate change and sea level rise on water availability, reservoir storage assessments, regional water quality appraisals, and environmental disposal of treated wastewater.
The USGS Caribbean-Florida Water Science Center is here to serve the Nation. If you have any comments or suggestions on how our website could be improved to better serve your needs, please contact the USGS Caribbean-Florida Water Science Center Webmaster.
Dorothy F. Sifuentes
CFWSC Director