U.S. Department of the InteriorU.S. Geological Survey

Dr. Robert M. HirschAssociate Director for WaterApril 16, 2007

USGS: Water Resources Program

Water Resources Mission• To provide reliable, impartial, timely

information that is needed to understand the Nation’s water resources. WRD actively promotes the use of this information by decision makers to –

• Minimize the loss of life and property as a result of water-related natural hazards, such as floods, droughts, and land movement.

Water Resources Mission

• Effectively manage ground-water and surface-water resources for domestic, agricultural, commercial, industrial, recreational, and ecological uses.

• Protect and enhance water resources for human health, aquatic health, and environmental quality. generations.

Water Resources Mission

• Contribute to wise physical and economic development of the Nation’s resources for the benefit of present and future generations.

Who we are

• A workforce of about 3400 people

• Diverse technical capabilities

• Located in all 50 states at a total of 179 locations

What we do

• Interact with 1,400 State and local agency cooperators

• Conduct data collection, interpretive studies, and research

• Topics studied include quantity and quality of water

• Includes both surface water and ground water

Water Resources Investigations$461M in FY 2006

Federal Share, State Water Institutes, $6M

Federal Program,

$142M

State & Local Agencies, $155M

Other Federal Agencies $95M

Federal Share, Coop Program,

$63M

Direct Appropriations, $211M Reimbursable Funds, $242M

U.S. Department of the InteriorU.S. Geological Survey

EXPLANATION

Regional Office

Water Science Center

Water Science Center at city

Field Office

Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility

National Water-Quality Laboratory

Branch of Regional Research Office

USGS National Training Center

WRD Regional Boundary

U.S. Geological Survey Water Resources Discipline Offices

USGS NWISWeb Database

849Real-time ground water

665,000Peak discharges (floods)

69.6 millionWater quality analyses

4.4 millionWater quality samples

7.8 millionGround-water levels272.2 millionDaily values

9,915Real-time sites

1.5 millionTotal monitoring sites

August 1, 2006

USGS NWISWeb Daily Values

August 1, 2006

11.4 millionWater Levels in Wells

21.0 millionOther

5.0 millionSpecific Conductance

11.3 millionTemperatures

1.5 millionpH

26.6 millionStage

195.4 millionDischarge

Web access to USGS hydrologic data History of monthly requests for data successfully fulfilled, in millions

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

02001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

USGS Cooperative Water Program• Working with state and local governments

to address water issues of national concern since 1895, now 1400 agencies

• Data collection and focused hydrologic investigations that meet local and regional water information needs

• Shared costs

Technical Program

• Streamgages 4,700

•Water quality stations 2,500

•Ground water levels 10,700

•Ground water quality 2,600

•Hydrologic Investigations 750

Hydrologic Investigations •Water Availability – GW Modeling

• Salt Water Intrusion

•Aquifer Storage and Recovery

• Flood Frequency Analyses

• Land Use Effects – Watershed Modeling

•Contaminant Distribution and Transport

• Eutrophication – Lakes and Estuaries

•Drinking Water Quality

Program Strengths

• Shared cost and shared benefits

• Built-in relevance – Cooperator interaction

• Information universally available – accepted as impartial by all parties

Program Strengths

• Builds and tests new tools – technology transfer

• National standards – builds the USGS National data base

• Provides basis for national and regional synthesis