Cooperative Water Program
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All Drought Products
Drought woes remain in the Midwest –Streamflow levels remain below normal across much of the Midwest states, including Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Illinois, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Many states have experienced severe drought, such as Iowa, where flows were less than 25 percent of normal streamflow conditions for the majority of the state. USGS crews have been making extra streamflow and groundwater level measurements in a number of states so that Cooperators will have sufficient data to make water management decisions. Areas of low stream flow can be viewed in real time on the USGS WaterWatch website. The national is the official report detailing drought conditions; this map paints a fuller picture of drought than just stream flow information, incorporating soil moisture, agricultural information, satellite data, and precipitation.
Real-time Alerts for Flooding and Droughts across the Nation –Sign up for "Project Alerts" to keep up with USGS scientists as they respond to floods, droughts, and chemical spills. These "real time" notifications are official, and yet informal, and describe flood, drought, or water quality conditions across the country, as well as how USGS field crews are responding to the event. Stay up-to-date on flows in flooded streams, drought-depleted groundwater, water quality in a lake, stream, or well, and deployment of USGS storm surge sensors in anticipation of a hurricane. A link to the RSS feed and the web archive can be found at http://water.usgs.gov/alerts/. (Press release)
Tracking drought impacts on groundwater levels in the Houston-Galveston Region of Texas –USGS, in cooperation with 5 agencies within the Houston-Galveston Region of Texas, measured water-levels in over 700 wells that are screened in the Gulf Coast Aquifer System, and evaluated short term and long term changes in the groundwater resources. This represents the 36th annual water-level synoptic in the region. This year's measurements showed dramatic impacts from the drought of 2011 with about 90 percent of all wells measured showing declines. (Contact: Mike Turco, mjturco@usgs.gov )
