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Water Quality

Featured Science | Harmful Algal Blooms in the Columbia River

We are merging remote and field methods to predict conditions associated with harmful algal blooms near the Tri-Cities, Washington.

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Featured Science | Sources of Mercury in Sinclair Inlet

We are examining how mercury from contaminated sediment enters nearshore marine waters.

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Featured Science | Puget Sound Nutrient Modeling

We are developing a statistically significant model capable of predicting nutrients entering the Puget Sound.

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What’s in the water? The USGS Washington Water Science Center answers this question by monitoring water quality conditions throughout the region. Our studies help predict potential changes and risks to water quality. We develop predictive models, novel sampling techniques, and multidisciplinary studies.

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Drinking Water

We all rely on water. Ensuring an ample supply of pure, healthy drinking water is of critical importance. The Washington Water Science Center researches drinking water to help communities protect this resource. We evaluate water availability and monitor for contaminants.

Environmental Contaminants

Contaminants are substances that have the potential to negatively impact human and ecosystem health. These chemicals make it into water and can have a detrimental effect on fish and other aquatic species. We study connections between contaminants in water, sediment, and aquatic species. This knowledge helps managers and communities protect human and ecosystem health.

Nutrients

Nutrients are chemical components in water that are used by living organisms. Nutrient levels can provide useful information about the health of the ecosystem and help determine whether the water is safe for people to drink. The USGS monitors and researches many types of nutrients in water.

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Sammamish River Basin

Sammamish River Basin

Understanding the extent of contaminants in urban rivers is key to assessment of human health risks and the restoration of endangered salmon in the Pacific Northwest. This equally true for the Sammamish River Basin in northeast King County, Washington, where a new wastewater treatment plant is being considered by King County. Information is needed about the water quality of the Sammamish River. In...
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Washington Water Science Center
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Sammamish River Basin

Understanding the extent of contaminants in urban rivers is key to assessment of human health risks and the restoration of endangered salmon in the Pacific Northwest. This equally true for the Sammamish River Basin in northeast King County, Washington, where a new wastewater treatment plant is being considered by King County. Information is needed about the water quality of the Sammamish River. In...
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Puyallup River Basin

Puyallup River Basin

The Puyallup River Basin in western Washington is drained by the Puyallup River and its main tributaries, the White and Carbon Rivers. The basin supports several salmon runs and hosts a variety of recreational activities. Communities in the basin include Tacoma, Puyallup, Fife, Sumner, Orting, Auburn, and the Puyallup and Muckleshoot Tribes. The types of land use in the basin vary from forests and...
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Washington Water Science Center
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Puyallup River Basin

The Puyallup River Basin in western Washington is drained by the Puyallup River and its main tributaries, the White and Carbon Rivers. The basin supports several salmon runs and hosts a variety of recreational activities. Communities in the basin include Tacoma, Puyallup, Fife, Sumner, Orting, Auburn, and the Puyallup and Muckleshoot Tribes. The types of land use in the basin vary from forests and...
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Hydrologic Trends Associated with Urban Development

Hydrologic Urban Indicators

Storm water, the rainfall that runs off urban surfaces such as rooftops, pavement, and lawns, can affect streams in a number of ways. As urban development increases, storm water can run quickly into streams, increasing the volume and peak flows and reducing summer flows. Sediment and other contaminants can also be carried into the streams. The Washington Department of Ecology (WDOE), the state...
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Washington Water Science Center
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Hydrologic Urban Indicators

Storm water, the rainfall that runs off urban surfaces such as rooftops, pavement, and lawns, can affect streams in a number of ways. As urban development increases, storm water can run quickly into streams, increasing the volume and peak flows and reducing summer flows. Sediment and other contaminants can also be carried into the streams. The Washington Department of Ecology (WDOE), the state...
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Preliminary Assessment of Using Tree-Tissue Analysis

McChord Air Force Base

During the investigation of a jet fuel bulk storage area, trichloroethene (TCE) was detected in ground water beneath McChord Air Force Base, near Tacoma, Washington. Monitoring wells were installed on the base to determine the extent of the TCE. In March 2000, after six monitoring wells were installed in the residential area to the west of the base, TCE was detected at concentrations above the...
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Washington Water Science Center
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McChord Air Force Base

During the investigation of a jet fuel bulk storage area, trichloroethene (TCE) was detected in ground water beneath McChord Air Force Base, near Tacoma, Washington. Monitoring wells were installed on the base to determine the extent of the TCE. In March 2000, after six monitoring wells were installed in the residential area to the west of the base, TCE was detected at concentrations above the...
Learn More
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Cedar River Watershed

Cedar River Watershed

The Cedar River watershed provides two-thirds of the water supply for the greater Seattle metropolitan region, in addition to being home to numerous terrestrial and aquatic organisms such as salmon, some of which are Federally listed as threatened species. The City of Seattle is establishing monitoring plans for the Cedar River watershed to effectively manage the resource. A critical component of...
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Washington Water Science Center
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Cedar River Watershed

The Cedar River watershed provides two-thirds of the water supply for the greater Seattle metropolitan region, in addition to being home to numerous terrestrial and aquatic organisms such as salmon, some of which are Federally listed as threatened species. The City of Seattle is establishing monitoring plans for the Cedar River watershed to effectively manage the resource. A critical component of...
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Highway Storm-Water Detention

Highway Storm-Water Detention

In some areas of the state, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) sometimes directs the storm-water runoff from highways into detention basins that store the water until it infiltrates into the ground. Because most of the water eventually percolates to the water table, and because runoff from highways can contain contaminants, using roadside detention basins may degrade ground...
By
Washington Water Science Center
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Highway Storm-Water Detention

In some areas of the state, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) sometimes directs the storm-water runoff from highways into detention basins that store the water until it infiltrates into the ground. Because most of the water eventually percolates to the water table, and because runoff from highways can contain contaminants, using roadside detention basins may degrade ground...
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