Images

Screenshot of the StreamStats Batch Processing Tool user interface. This tool produces shapefiles that contain the delineated basins, basin characteristics, and flow statistics for multiple sites requested at once by users.

Salt deposits along the Paria River, UT. USGS scientists are studying salinity in the Upper Colorado Basin.

The Dolores River, CO, a tributary of the Colorado River. USGS scientists are studying salinity in the Upper Colorado Basin.

A soil moisture data logger buried in the ground is a specialized instrument designed to measure and record the moisture content of soil over time. Here's how it generally functions:

A Hydrologic Imagery Visualization and Information System (HIVIS) camera along the San Antonio River in San Antonio, Texas. The camera is used to verify the position of a gate that is operated by the City of San Antonio. Check out the camera here.

A tile map of the US showing streamgages by flow levels through the month of December 2023. For each state, an area chart shows the proportion of streamgages in wet, normal, or dry conditions. Streamflow conditions are quantified using percentiles comparing the past month’s flow levels to the historic record for each streamgage.

The image is the logo for pywatershed created by James L. Mccreight. jmccreight@usgs.gov

Photograph of the Lake in Central Park, NY under harmful algal bloom conditions.

This diagram, released in English and Spanish in 2022, depicts the global water cycle. It shows how human water use affects where water is stored, how it moves, and how clean it is. This diagram is also available in other languages available on our Downloadable Products page.

This diagram, released in English and Spanish in 2022, depicts the global water cycle. It shows how human water use affects where water is stored, how it moves, and how clean it is. This diagram is also available in other languages available on our Downloadable Products page.

March-August daily average streamflow for the last 30 years (1991-2022) (dark gray lines) compared to 2023, showing the periods where 2023 streamflow was above (blue) and below (orange) the historical average. Individual years of the relevant historical streamflow period are shown in light gray. 

Map of the Integrated Water Science study area for the Willamette River Basin, Oregon.

Vegetation growth is assisting the Muddy Creek channel in becoming deeper and narrower (Carbon County, Wyoming).  Photo by Patrick Anderson (USGS)

This is a screenshot taken from a timelapse video of a rising glacial lake from May through August 2023. The video was captured by a USGS Hydrologic Imagery Visualization and Information System (HIVIS) camera. The water level in the lake gradually rises throughout the video and then the water level dramatically decreases towards the end of the video.

U.S. River Conditions, April to June 2023 visualization thumbnail image. For more visualizations, check out https://labs.waterdata.usgs.gov/visualizations/vizlab-home/index.html#/

A staff profile photo of Mari Lee. Mari is the Branch Chief of the Strategic Laboratory Science Branch in the Laboratory and Analytical Services Division of the Water Mission Area.

The USGS Water Resources Mission Area will assess water availability based on these core components of water supply and demand. 

#RecreateWithUSGS is a national photo contest to raise awareness of the importance of USGS water data collected on public lands where people recreate in, on, and around water. Participate in this national photo contest and share your photo with us. Post on Instagram using #RecreateWithUSGS and tag @USGS_Water. The contest is open from June 12th - August 20th, 2023.

Photo of: Blake Dudding, USGS; Photographer: Taylor Camper, USGS  

Lake Anna, Virginia  

USGS hydrographer Kristopher Ross makes an acoustic streamflow measurement from a cableway at streamgage 10308200 East Fork Carson River below Markleeville Creek, near Markleeville, CA. This station was recently nominated to be a part of the new Federal Priority Streamgage network design.​

Regional water availability assessment basins, as of 2023. USGS is conducting regional water availability assessments in medium-sized watersheds throughout the US.  These assessments are designed to capture a range of conditions in major drivers of water availability.