Water quality and ecology of small streams
USGS Regional Stream Quality Assessment (RSQA)
Modeling contaminant loads in rivers and streams
SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes (SPARROW) models
Research by the USGS National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project on water quality of rivers and streams covers a broad range of topics, from nonpoint pollution issues to vulnerability of aquatic ecosystems. Dive in and find out more about current water-quality conditions, how and where water quality is changing, and the latest information on pesticides, nutrients, and other contaminants.
The Nation's rivers and streams are a priceless resource—they provide drinking water for a growing population, irrigation for crops, habitat for aquatic life, and countless recreational opportunities.
NAWQA research on surface-water quality is focusing on three areas:
-
current conditions and trends in water quality in the Nation’s rivers and streams;
-
developing models and interactive mappers that estimate the amount of a contaminant transported from inland watersheds to larger water bodies (SPAtially Referenced Regression On Watershed attributes, or SPARROW); and
-
characterizing water quality and ecology in hundreds of small streams across the United States (Regional Stream Quality Assessments; RSQA).
Explore NAWQA science on topics related to water quality in streams and rivers
Relations between land use and surface-water quality
Urban Land Use and Water Quality
Contaminants in surface water
Emerging contaminants (pharmaceuticals, personal-care products, and more)
Sediment-associated contaminants (metals, pesticides, PAHs, and more)
Coal-Tar-Based Pavement Sealcoat, PAHs, and Environmental Health
Relations to aquatic life
NWQP Research on Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)
Drinking water issues
Drinking Water and Source Water Research
Chloride, Salinity, and Dissolved Solids
Water-Quality Benchmarks for Contaminants
Trends in water quality
Water-Quality Trends from Lake Sediment Cores
How do we do it?
Access USGS publications and manuals on National Water-Quality Project sampling methods.
Looking for information on groundwater quality as well?
Explore these links:
Learn about topics and projects related to surface-water quality.
Access USGS data on surface-water quality and ecology using the links below.
Below, you’ll find the latest in peer-reviewed journal articles and USGS reports on water-quality issues in streams and rivers.
Agriculture — A river runs through it — The connections between agriculture and water quality
Biological relevance of streamflow metrics: Regional and national perspectives
Complex mixtures of dissolved pesticides show potential aquatic toxicity in a synoptic study of Midwestern U.S. streams
Influence of sediment chemistry and sediment toxicity on macroinvertebrate communities across 99 wadable streams of the Midwestern USA
Multistressor predictive models of invertebrate condition in the Corn Belt, USA
Holistic assessment of occurrence and fate of metolachlor within environmental compartments of agricultural watersheds
Complex mixtures of Pesticides in Midwest U.S. streams indicated by POCIS time-integrating samplers
Sources and ages of fine-grained sediment to streams using fallout radionuclides in the Midwestern United States
Similarities and differences in occurrence and temporal fluctuations in glyphosate and atrazine in small Midwestern streams (USA) during the 2013 growing season
Challenges with secondary use of multi-source water-quality data in the United States
High nitrate concentrations in some Midwest United States streams in 2013 after the 2012 drought
Prediction of pesticide toxicity in Midwest streams
Bifenthrin causes trophic cascades and alters insect emergence in mesocosms: implication for small streams
Isotopic tracers in fish in Northeast provide clue to mercury sources
Isotopes of mercury in fish can indicate the source of that mercury, reports a new study from the USGS Regional Stream Quality Assessment.
Research by the USGS National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project on water quality of rivers and streams covers a broad range of topics, from nonpoint pollution issues to vulnerability of aquatic ecosystems. Dive in and find out more about current water-quality conditions, how and where water quality is changing, and the latest information on pesticides, nutrients, and other contaminants.
The Nation's rivers and streams are a priceless resource—they provide drinking water for a growing population, irrigation for crops, habitat for aquatic life, and countless recreational opportunities.
NAWQA research on surface-water quality is focusing on three areas:
-
current conditions and trends in water quality in the Nation’s rivers and streams;
-
developing models and interactive mappers that estimate the amount of a contaminant transported from inland watersheds to larger water bodies (SPAtially Referenced Regression On Watershed attributes, or SPARROW); and
-
characterizing water quality and ecology in hundreds of small streams across the United States (Regional Stream Quality Assessments; RSQA).
Explore NAWQA science on topics related to water quality in streams and rivers
Relations between land use and surface-water quality
Urban Land Use and Water Quality
Contaminants in surface water
Emerging contaminants (pharmaceuticals, personal-care products, and more)
Sediment-associated contaminants (metals, pesticides, PAHs, and more)
Coal-Tar-Based Pavement Sealcoat, PAHs, and Environmental Health
Relations to aquatic life
NWQP Research on Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)
Drinking water issues
Drinking Water and Source Water Research
Chloride, Salinity, and Dissolved Solids
Water-Quality Benchmarks for Contaminants
Trends in water quality
Water-Quality Trends from Lake Sediment Cores
How do we do it?
Access USGS publications and manuals on National Water-Quality Project sampling methods.
Looking for information on groundwater quality as well?
Explore these links:
Learn about topics and projects related to surface-water quality.
Access USGS data on surface-water quality and ecology using the links below.
Below, you’ll find the latest in peer-reviewed journal articles and USGS reports on water-quality issues in streams and rivers.
Agriculture — A river runs through it — The connections between agriculture and water quality
Biological relevance of streamflow metrics: Regional and national perspectives
Complex mixtures of dissolved pesticides show potential aquatic toxicity in a synoptic study of Midwestern U.S. streams
Influence of sediment chemistry and sediment toxicity on macroinvertebrate communities across 99 wadable streams of the Midwestern USA
Multistressor predictive models of invertebrate condition in the Corn Belt, USA
Holistic assessment of occurrence and fate of metolachlor within environmental compartments of agricultural watersheds
Complex mixtures of Pesticides in Midwest U.S. streams indicated by POCIS time-integrating samplers
Sources and ages of fine-grained sediment to streams using fallout radionuclides in the Midwestern United States
Similarities and differences in occurrence and temporal fluctuations in glyphosate and atrazine in small Midwestern streams (USA) during the 2013 growing season
Challenges with secondary use of multi-source water-quality data in the United States
High nitrate concentrations in some Midwest United States streams in 2013 after the 2012 drought
Prediction of pesticide toxicity in Midwest streams
Bifenthrin causes trophic cascades and alters insect emergence in mesocosms: implication for small streams
Isotopic tracers in fish in Northeast provide clue to mercury sources
Isotopes of mercury in fish can indicate the source of that mercury, reports a new study from the USGS Regional Stream Quality Assessment.